Mock Forms
by emif
Summary: Something strange is going on in Egypt. Atem doesn't know what to think and it seems that the peasants have more insight than their king.
1. Funerary Preparations

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yuugi-Ou. It belongs to its respective creators who don't have enough yami's.

**A/N: **One of those things that nag and nag and refuse to go away. I've tried to write this at least twice. It was the reason I go this account. So dang it, I'm writing it. This will be a boring beginning but will improve. Or get more interesting. Not one should know where this is going at this point.

I hope you are kind to my Serqi.

**Mock Forms**

**Chapter I: Funerary Preparations**

Atem was not looking forward to this afternoon. It would be most likely a long dull affair involving an argument from half a dozen priests and have to be reconvened the next day, or few days, if luck wasn't with him.

He was in the beginning process of planning his funeral. He was sixteen and the officials had finally bullied him into a corner on the matter. He had to start preparations for the Afterlife; even though, the event would be most likely decades away. Tombs took years to build and even longer to get through the bureaucracy. Apparently despite the young Pharaoh's disapproval of many issues, the bureaucrats had made most of the decisions for him. They had decided who would do the labor, how large it would be and, even which Gods were to protect it. In the end, Atem was scarcely permitted to choose the type of stone used on the monument.

However the bureaucrats, despite their ultimate rule over his Afterlife, insisted on convening these meetings, anyway. The plan for the day was a meeting with the Royal Chief Architect. It was new architect and Atem had never met the man. However this made little difference since, Atem had never met the old Royal Chief Architect, either.

"Pharaoh..." It was Mahado who had just walked into the small meeting room. "Are you ready for the meeting, sir?"

Atem looked over at Mahado briefly. He was surprised it wasn't Shimon. He must have gone to oversee the construction of a new temple. He decided that must have been it. "When will the meeting begin?"

Mahado sighed and looked out the window. He searched the garden below until he found the Sumerian sundial. "Its about time now. Set will be here soon. He's not one to be late."

"Set?" Atem looked up at Mahado for a moment. "Set is coming?"

Mahado looked surprised. "Set is the one who arranged the architect. Apparently, he's rather young."

"Are you worried about that?"

Mahado shifted his eyes to Atem for a moment. He was. "Set assures me he is capable and quite good at what he does."

"But..."

"But nothing." Mahado was surprised by the inquiry. "I trust Set's decision."

Atem was not convinced; however, it was no use bothering him. Atem was sure his suspicions were unfounded. He was sure the architect would be dry, rather old and very boring, but good by traditional standards.

At that moment, Set opened the door and walked in. He was followed by a young man no taller than Atem and around the same age. The boy had black hair that was cut in two lengths the longer came down to his shoulders and short around his face was at length with his upper chin. His eyes were purple and did not meet Atem's as he walked into the room. The boy wore various jewelry, primarily of scorpions and snakes: two gold wristbands, two matching items were also above his ankles, two armbands were below his shoulders, one containing the image of a scorpion and the other was a simple spiral, a gold hoop hung over one of his ankles, two rings on his right hand, one on his left and a metal neck wrap with the image of a cobra. Atem found him over-decorated. His kilt hung to right below his knees and had a red border around the edge.

Atem assumed he was a new student of Set. Set had never had a student before; nonetheless, the priests often took apprentices and he was sure that was the explanation. Atem waited for a moment, looking around out of boredom. He had no idea where the architect was.

Mahado nudged him. "Pharaoh?"

Atem straightened slightly. He didn't see why he had to. The architect was obviously late or had dementia. "Set, weren't you supposed to bring the architect?"

Mahado groaned to himself. It was humiliating with the Pharaoh had no idea what was going on.

Set smirked slightly. "I did bring the architect."

The boy looked up at Set for moment. He looked confused and apprehensive.

He put his hand on the student's shoulder. "This is the architect. His name is Serqmaaker and he recently joined the court as your _Royal Chief Architect_."

Atem choked for a moment. "He's the architect!"

Mahado reddened and pulled Atem to the side. "You didn't know?"

"He can't be old enough."

"That may be but he _is_ the architect. I told he was young, Pharaoh."

"That young..." Atem realized that Set and, the apparent new architect, Serqmaaker were still in the room. "Sorry. I... I..."

"I understand that I am quite young. You expected someone with more experience." The young architect said. He was seemed nervous to be standing in front of Atem.

"Yes, that is um... Serq-maa..."

Set looked as though he was thoroughly enjoying the entire affair. "He is often called Serq. Its a name from Lower Egypt. Pharaoh, may not be familiar with it."

"Right... Serq, you had a plan, I assume for the tomb."

The boy bowed to Atem and scrambled over to a large table in the center of the room. Set, Atem and Mahado walked over occasionally looking at one another and back to Serq as he scrambled through a large tan bag overfilled with papyrus. The boy fumbled as they watched him, he looking over papers, occasionally throwing something onto the table or shoving it back into the bag. He even made disgusted faces at a few of the papyruses. All the while the boy hummed to himself. He thought he had thrown those out. Set seemed almost indignant by the unprofessional display by his young acquaintance. Finally, he decided on the proper drawings and spread them out on the table. "These are some of the designs for your tomb."

Atem looked at the drawings. He was an expert certainly. "You do know that I am known for the Ka Gods, didn't you?"

Serq almost jumped. He looked down at his designs nervously. Sure enough, there was much reference to the Gods. He had mentioned Ra but that was almost it. "I... I..."

Set stepped in almost instantly. "This is a preliminary meeting. The specific designs for the walls and scriptures are done much later. _Surely_, you knew that Pharaoh." Set sent Atem a look of disappointment. Serq just gave a sigh of relief. "This meeting is to _evaluate_ the overall design and structure of the tomb. Not to mention the first draft of traps for tomb robbers. Surely, _you_ know what the intent of _your_ own meeting is, my Pharaoh."

Atem recoiled slightly. He really didn't have much of an idea of what the meeting was about in detail. He regained his composure quickly though. "That's enough, Set. I don't need to be reprimanded on how I conduct a meeting." Set fumed slightly, Serq seemed more in admiration to the Pharaoh. He looked down at the drawings again.

Serq waited almost not paying attention. He played with one of his rings and flicked his hair occasionally. Set nudged the boy and he straightened quickly. Set gave him a look and he grinned nervously at the priest. Set had noticed his absent minded ditziness before.

Atem looked up. "These are rather good."

The meeting continued for some time. Atem had been impressed. Set and Serq left shortly after. Set was smirked to himself. He had actually been the priest who had found Serq. He was on a Ka raid and had sensed a particular ability in the boy. He was at the time working for a minor king in Lower Egypt. He had taken the boy to the palace. They often searched for Ba's with specific talents or signatures. Serq was no different. They had sensed something different about the boy. It turned out he was one of the greatest artists in Egypt with a keen mind for mathematics and architecture. He could do amazing equations on structure and mass in his mind. He also copied from nature as opposed to the tradition of copying from past generations. He was brilliant as an architect.

However, he soon learned that he lacked in many other areas. He was slothish, had a sense of extreme vanity and had the attention span of a fly. However, it wasn't his duty to be good at these things. He had been easy to place. He seemed eager to leave the old kingdom and even more eager to be working in such a high position.

"Brother, did the meeting go well?" The boy said sweetly. He was looking up at Set warmly.

"Yes, the Pharaoh is fond of you."

Serq smiled and cooed to himself. Set ignored the gesture. He was not the boy's brother; well, not by birth. Set had treated him much like one though. He had even allowed the boy to call him as such. He had a strange bond with him. Something that he didn't usually have with the people he had found. Set walked out of the palace and into the Royal courtyard. Serq followed humming to himself and playing with one of his rings.

Set continued to the Veju Temple on the west end of the courtyard. Serq followed him into the building. It was large with stone illustrated stone tablets lining the walls. There was a stone platform in the center of the building with torches lighting the room. Serq looked around twirling his hair. "This is Egypt's famous temple, brother?"

"Yes, this is the temple of Veju where all of the ka's of criminals are kept." He said continuing into the building.

Serq followed slowly looking around.

Set stopped at the far end talking with with his father, Akunadin. They were discussing what they considered a moderately hostile thief calling himself a king by the time Serq walked over to Set's side.

"He's charged with public drunkness and ranting in the streets about the Ka's. How he even knows about such things are beyond m-..." Akunadin paused mid-thought and looked at Serq. "Who is that?"

Set turned around expecting someone different. He was unaware that many were unused to Serq playing shadow with him. Serq appeared a little nervous by the sudden attention drawn to him. Set turned back around to Akunadin. "Serqmaaker, the new architect for the palace. He was observing the design, I assume."

Akunadin nodded and spoke to himself for a moment. "_Right, new architect. _Make sure, he knows what he is doing. Is he Chatuluka's student? Surely, _he_ couldn't be the architect. He's too young."

"He _is_ the new architect." Set said insistently. He was getting very annoyed by the fact that people continued to insist that he was wrong and that the boy couldn't possibly be the architect. "Chatuluka departed to the Afterlife more than a week ago. His mummification is being carried out."

Akunadin seemed almost dazed for a moment. He had known the old architect and would miss him horribly. "Oh... I suppose I heard about that." Akunadin was silent for a moment.

Set decided to break the silence. He didn't have time for silly nostalgia from an old priest. "So what is the current whereabouts of this 'thief king'?"

Akunadin snapped out of his mental doldrums. "No, idea. No one does. He starts riots in the streets about 'justice', robs tombs, frees prisoners, is found drunk in the local House of Beer and the gods only know what else. Then as soon as _we_ notice, he disappears without a trace. The people aren't any help either. They refuse to tell us anything about him. Some say he's a myth. Others are saying he's a god."

Set seemed surprised and so did Serq. "A god?"

"I know, that's the last thing we need is some crazy thief being deified."

"No, we don't. Has anyone cooperated?"

"Some have. A caravan leader was robbed by him. He chased the thief for almost ten miles. I would have let the goods go but, he didn't. He chased the thief all the way into the canyons. The thief snuck away after that. He got away around Kur Elna though. Why he'd lead him all the way out there, I don't know."

"You think he lives that far out."

"I wouldn't doubt it. Thieves like him aren't like normal people. They live outside the order of things."

"I'll personally look for him myself."

"Don't bother. The guards are out on it. He's a pest. A big pest but a pest nonetheless."

Serq looked at Akunadin. He was curious. He had heard of Kur Elna. "Weren't they all dead?"

Akunadin turned to Serq. "We wish. If all the crazy thieves were dead, we wouldn't need sennen items."

"No in that village. Didn't they all die at once. Right around the time the sennen items were born."

"Yes, a coincidence. They were thieves and there was this horrible plague. Everyone died."

"I see."

* * *

I know it is incredibly boring. But it has a lot of foundation for the whole story. More to come soon and please review. 


	2. Street Fighting

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yuugi-Ou. It belongs to its respective creators who ignored that Egpyt had racial diversity.

**A/N: **This takes place some time before the Egypt Arch saga. I imagine around half a year before. Also Jono is the Egyptian life for Jonouchi (Joey), Habib is Honda (Tristan) and Safiya is Shizuka (Serenity). I have a reference picture if you would like an image: http/www,deviantart,com/view/30582677/ Replace the commas with periods.

Also any anti-Sematic language is for the effect that racism is bad. Very bad. I hope that gets through.

**Mock Forms**

**Chapter II: Street Fighting**

Jono lived on the western side of the capital city. He wasn't particularly wealthy, by any means, but this social class put him in a comfortable situation. He lived alone for a time after his parents went through a messy divorce. His father had been of a low class, not to mention a violent gambler, and it had panned out very badly. This is when he decided it was best to try to make it on his own. He took his mother's class, which was slightly higher than his father's, and a job as a craftsmen. He lived alone for almost a year before a childhood friend of his _decided_ to move in. The childhood friend had been a Hebrew named Habib, enslaved in the palace since they were children. Habib had been in a very bad situation as he was going to be sold. Jono had pulled some strings, asked some favors and had gotten an arrangement for him to move in. Shortly after, he took in his younger sister who was being bullied into marrying by their mother. He was protective of her, to say the least, and didn't like the idea of his little sister being shoved into marrying. So after a long and bitter fight with his mother, he left with his still unwed younger sister. Her name was Safiya and she had had trouble with her eyesight since she was very little. The three lived in relative harmony; despite obvious problems, that may arise, when you have an overprotective brother, naïve young woman and a monotheist in the same small home.

They were going out to the market that day. Safiya always enjoyed it more than Jono and Habib. They didn't see why but they weren't one's to dwell.

"Brother, why are you going so slow? The market is going to be closed before we get there." Safiya whined impatiently and ran off ahead.

"I don't see why she's so excited." Habib commented getting something to carry things in out of the adobe.

"Don't ask me. She just likes it, I guess." Jono replied with a basket over his shoulder. They both spoke Hebrew and Egyptian. Jono had learned Hebrew at a young age while playing with Habib and Habib had learned Egyptian from his parents and from the overseers at the palace. They didn't use either when talking to each other. They used a mix they had invented as small children. No one could understand it completely besides them, not even Safiya.

Safiya ran back and bounced impatiently. "Are we going or not?"

"We're going, Safiya." Habib said in Egyptian, walking out of the house. Jono followed him.

The market was always busy in midday. People tend to do most of their shopping then. "Safiya, don't run away. Its crowded." Jono said a few minutes too late. She was already gone.

"Don't worry so much." Habib said grinning. "You're acting like you're her mother."

Jono fumed and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "WHAT!"

Habib grinned. "I just mean you _know_ where she's going?" His voice quieted. "Besides you're causing a scene. I thought you didn't want to draw attention."

Jono let go of him. He was right. He didn't want to draw attention at all. A sibling, young unmarried man and a Hebrew all living with each other was not something to draw attention to. A situation that strange was not common or welcome. "Sorry."

"Maybe, you shouldn't do _that_ in public, either. I'm a slave remember." Habib said quietly.

Jono growled to himself. "Fine."

"Should I go get her?"

"No. I'll do it. You go to the market. I'll be there soon."

Habib nodded and left to the booths in the market.

Safiya was on a far corner of the market. She was listening intently to the 'thief king' himself. She did this as often as she possibly could. It was the reason she loved going to the market. Everyday that the guards were not on duty, he would stand on the streets and give long speeches. Speeches about justice. She was probably the only one of the spectators that planned on watching him. Most came over out of curiosity as to what all the noise was about. Safiya was usually the only one who stayed more than ten minutes.

Jono walked to the far end of the market and saw Safiya. He fumed and quickly walked over to her grabbing her arm. "Don't listen to him, Safiya. He's crazy."

The Thief King stopped at the remark. He was a thief, and it is true that most didn't listen to him but, he wasn't crazy. "Who are you calling crazy?"

Jono went blank for a minute. He really didn't expect him to say anything.

"You're the one whose crazy!" This was the only bit he actually said to Jono directly. The rest ran into a new speech. "Upholding! Glorifying! And Benefiting from a Broken System that **_Uses the Blood_ **of Others to..."

"**Shut up**!" Jono yelled interrupting him. "**And leave me and my sister out of this**! **We don't want to hear about your crazy ideas**!"

Thief King snarled and his crowd dispersed quickly mumbling things as they went. Jono stomping off with them. Safiya didn't move and stared at Thief King for a moment. She felt sorry for him and guilty about what her brother had said. She walked over to him and pant his shoulder. "I don't think your ideas are crazy."

"Safiya!" Jono yelled standing a few yards away.

Safiya groaned to herself, looking from Thief King to her brother and ran off.

"Stay away from him, Safiya." Jono said firmly.

"He's not crazy." Safiya said angrily.

"What?" Jono said surprised.

"He isn't. He's right. What he says is right." She said making fists with her hands.

"What he says is crazy and gets people killed."

"It does not. He talks about how things aren't fair. And they aren't. You know, they aren't. You say they aren't fair. You always say how its not fair that Habib..."

Jono cringed and covered her mouth to stop her from finishing her thought. "Don't say that... do you know what the priests would do, if they knew?"

She removed his hand. "He's right, though. He talks about that and some people say he's going to be deified one day."

Jono hated that rumor. He did not believe it at any stretch. He personally thought that all that that thief was going to do was get himself killed and probably take half the social oddballs with him. That category including Jono. "He's not a god. You know that and so do I." Jono said firmly. "So don't listen to him."

Safiya would have argued if the next event hadn't occurred. A large gold dragon flew through the alley at her brother and herself. Jono noticed first, grabbed her and jumped out of the way. He looked up as he lay on the ground. The gold dragon was serpent like with four legs and wings. He had no idea what it was but it emitting some type of light.

Jono and Safiya stood up and Safiya scrambled behind her brother. Jono braced himself as he stood in front of her. Jono had no idea what he was going to do. He didn't know what the dragon was, let only what it wanted. It was then the dragon attacked again. Jono grabbed Safiya and pushed her out of the way. The dragon missed yet again and hovered low.

"Do you like it?"

Jono turned toward the voice as he made sure Safiya was safely behind him. "Whose there?"

The voice was from a young man named Serqmaaker. He was standing by an alley. "It _really_ isn't polite to ignore a question from a noble."

"A noble?" Jono and Safiya echoed.

Serq chuckled to himself. "So peasants are deaf and dumb. I thought they were more noble than that. Me and my idealism." Serq cackled and pointed.

The gold dragon attacked again. Jono jumped out of the way with Safiya a third time. He panted and looked over at Serq. The young man was carrying something. It was staff which was over half his body length. The staff was gold with a sphere on the end topped by a sharp spike and two gold wings on either side. "What is that thing?"

Serq chuckled to himself. "This is the Sennen staff. A little trinket of mine." He said pointing his staff. He redirected it toward the dragon. "And that is a Ka beast. This little one is the Kaiser Dragon." He lowered his staff. "I was taking her out for a walk."

"Kaiser dragon?" Jono said to himself.

Serq laughed aloud. "That's right. The Kaiser Dragon and I think she's hungry." Serq laughed maniacally and pointed at them with his staff. "Attack Kaiser Dragon!"

The dragon screeched and charged at Jono and Safiya. Safiya cringed behind her brother and Jono stood up against trying to shield Safiya. He knew the dragon was lethal, it was obvious from the size of it, but he had to protect his sister. He braced himself and prepared for the worst, as Safiya screamed behind him. The dragon sped toward them; then suddenly ignited in a blaze of purple flame. The creature shrieked in pain and stammers on the ground.

"That's impossible! How could you summon a Ka!" Serq yelled in amazement looking up above Jono and Safiya.

Jono looked up and Safiya followed suit. A large black dragon with red eyes was flying directly above them. The dragon was surrounded by the same glow as the Kaiser Dragon. The dragon screeched and hovered lower to the ground in front of Jono and Safiya.

Safiya clung to her brother. "Now, there are two monsters!" She said terrified as she clung tighter.

Jono stared at the monster. Somehow he knew it. He didn't know how. He had never seen it before but he somehow did know it. He looked at Serq for a moment then back at the dragon. "It came from me. The Red-Eyes Black Dragon." He said it quietly to himself. He then straightened his stance. "Red Eyes Black Dragon attack the Kaiser Dragon!"

The Red Eyes shrieked and obeyed his master attacking the Kaiser Dragon. The Kaiser Dragon reacted dodging the Red Eyes attack.

"So, you can control your ka. The things _peasants_ do." Serq said chuckling. "Kaiser Dragon destroy the Red Eyes Black Dragon! Let's see how you do without any Ba."

The dragon charged at the Red Eyes that stood in front of Jono as protective as his master did for Safiya. The dragon was hit directly and, monster and master both yelled out in pain.

"Oh..." Serq whined. "I underestimated you again, peasant. You don't even know how a Ka duel works and a half of your Ba is already gone. What a shame."

"Shut up!" Jono said pulling himself up as Safiya as supported him from his right side.

The duel hadn't been as loud as it could have but screaming men didn't usually go unnoticed. Habib hadn't been far away and recognized it instantly. He ran to the alley where Serq had ambushed Jono and Safiya and couldn't believe it. Two two monsters were standing or more hovering in front of the two parties. He didn't recognize the man on the far left. But between him and his companions were two large glowing dragons. The one closest to Jono and Safiya was a solid black and the one further away was a gold.

Habib recoiled at first then turned to Jono and Safiya. Jono was hunched slightly. He appeared to be hurt but Habib didn't see any blood. If the monsters had attacked him, there would have been blood. Wouldn't there? Habib shook it off and ran over to Safiya and Jono. He quickly got on the opposite side of Safiya to help her support Jono. "Are you alright?"

Jono tried to straighten himself. "Yeah, I'm fine. Done shopping, huh?"

Habib could have hit him and if he weren't obviously hurt, he would have. "Jo..."

"Brother, how could you make jokes right now!" Safiya said almost hysterically. She wasn't crying but it looked like she was about to.

Habib shot Jono a look then turned to the monsters out of the corner of his eye. "What are those things?"

"Ka's. The black one is mine and the other one is his." Jono panted slightly still trying to stand up. "He attacked me and Safiya."

Habib looked at the monsters. He didn't believe in Ka's. He didn't think they existed or that someone could use one if they did. He had been taught not to believe in them. However, it was something and the black dragon did seem familiar. He didn't know why but it did. "What's going on?"

"I have to stop his ka with mine." Jono said looking at Habib out of the corner of his eye.

Habib thought it sounded crazy but he was going to go with it. Whatever was going on wasn't normal anyway. "Fine."

Serq smirked at he watched the three talk with one another. He enjoyed seeing them confused. "Well then, I see, we have a trio." Serq looked at Habib. He was slightly paler than Jono and Safiya. He recognized him almost immediately. "A slave!" Serq burst into a cruel laughter. "You stay in the company of a slave! That's... cute." He said sarcastically with a grin.

Jono snarled. "Shut up! Leave him out of this!" The Red Eyes screeched aggressively at Serq. He was an exact copy of his master's emotions.

Habib and Safiya restrained him. It wasn't too difficult. He was significantly weakened by the Kaiser Dragon's blows. "Let it go. Its not worth it." Habib said as he restrained Jono.

"Isn't that cute? Defending one another. I hope it helps you in terms of Ba." Serq chuckled and the Kaiser Dragon charged at the Red Eyes again. Jono screamed in pain with the Red Eyes. After the attack, the Red Eyes Black Dragon was transparent. They could see through the monster to their attacker. Then the Red Eyes disappeared.

Safiya screamed as Jono went limp. She had been trying to hold him up, he weighed far more than she did, causing her to almost fall from the weight.

Habib shook him. "Jono. Jono!" It was at a loss as to how this could happen. Ka's weren't real. Magic wasn't real, not the kind the Egyptians did. Jono shouldn't be hurt but he was. Habib quickly became hysterical, cursing and yelling in Hebrew. He turned to Safiya, still hysterical, and told her to go. It was lost in translation. Safiya didn't know Hebrew like Jono, or even the hybrid, they had made up. It was lost to her which one was being spoken and it is doubtful that Habib could tell you either.

Safiya was now kneeling on the ground from when Jono had fainted. She was terrified, too. "I-I can't understand."

Serq, meanwhile, was thoroughly enjoying himself. He liked the confusion. It was a chaotic change from the metronome- like pace of the palace. "She can't understand you, slave!" He said mockingly. "Try another language! Maybe Sumerian!"

Habib was now hunched over Jono protectively. He turned to Serq cursing under his breath, calling Serq several things in Hebrew he would never want Safiya to hear in Egyptian.

Serq laughed aloud. "You think that _you_ scare _me_! I'll show you, slave!" The Kaiser Dragon shrieked and attacked. However, again, it was unsuccessful. The dragon shrieked in pain as it was being piggy-backed by a large glowing lion. The lion had a single razor sharp horn on its forehead and had its claws dug into the sides of the Kaiser Dragon. The dragon continued to howl in agony and thrashed as the lion held fast.

Safiya looked over at her brother. He was still unconscious. It wasn't him. Then she turned to Habib. He was holding her brother up with one arm around his waist. He was frenzied with rage and a newfound hatred for the man across the alley. His eyes were tightly focused on him. Habib had summoned the monster and it was as apt to destroy the dragon as Habib was to do the same to Serq. "Habib?"

Serq stood dumbfounded. "How... a slave! How could a slave summon a ka!" Serq looked at the monster. "Gazelle, eh? You, my dear slave, have the king of beasts living inside of you." Serq mused to Habib and himself alike. "A weak ka but a ka. Unusual, indeed."

The truth of the matter was that the monster was not quite as weak as Serq thought. The beast had been strengthened far beyond its normal level by Habib's rage. The beast was a noble one, a lion, but generally not a brutal fighter. But like his master, he was not one to turn away from an injustice like this and was cunning to boot.

Habib was still in a rage. However, he was more composed now. He turned to Safiya. "Get out of here, Safiya."

"What?" Safiya was surprised by the request.

"I said **get out**!" It was no longer a friendly suggestion but a direct order.

She nodded and obeyed fleeing the alley. Serq simply chuckled following her with his eyes as he let her pass.

"If you attack her..." Habib threatened.

Serq ignored him and chuckled to himself playing with his right earring.

Safiya ran as fast as she could. She needed to get help. Real help. But who? Who would care about her and Habib, about an unmarried woman and an illegal slave? She thought as she ran. Until, it hit her. Her friend would. The man on the street corners. The one who talks about people like her, who was someone like her. She turned and headed for his street.

Her friend, in question, was sitting on the same street corner with his cheek in one hand. His daily protest, against all that was the establishment, had been a disaster. The worst of it all was that he hadn't even attracted any guards. If he had, he would have been stopped violently bashed over the head and have looked like a hero. No such luck.

"King."

He looked up. He wasn't used to being called _'king_', alone anyway. It was more of a self proclaimed title, "Thief King". He had wanted something dramatic. He had never thought it would be said so seriously or without the thief bit. He snapped out of his musings and looked up. It was the girl from earlier today. She really was a sweet girl. She came to almost every one of his protests. He sighed and looked up at her, still sitting on street corner. His eyes were little blank. "No more today. Come back tomorrow."

Safiya was half way to tears anyway and this pushed her over the edge. She burst into a solid wail at his reply.

Thief King lowered his hand surprised by the reaction. He quickly got to his feet and began waving his hands. "Calm down. I'll be back tomor..." He couldn't believe he was this demanded. "Um... you cannot halt it! Justice..."

He stopped abruptly as he noticed the young girl was now firmly hugging him around the waist. She was sobbing profusely and clinging to his maroon coat. "Please, Mr. Thief King... mimhba..." she said, the ending muffled as she clung.

Thief King felt awkwardly and had his arms risen so not to touch the girl. He was never very good with comforting or anything that involved too much human contact. He preferred the anonymity of audiences, mobs, guards or even occasional inanimate object. "Um... girl, I mean... you... could you let... what are you doing?" He said continuing his quest to avoid touching her.

"My brother... My brother was attacked... Habib is trying to... but there's a... he fainted..." She then burst into a strong fit of tears again. She was hysterical now.

"Your brother's name is Habib?" He thought that seemed odd. Her brother had seemed strictly Egyptian earlier.

"No... H-habib is m-my b-b-brother's f-friend..." She was looking up at him with huge brown eyes. "S-someone is u-using m-magic with th-their g-gold..."

"Magic?" Thief King suddenly snapped out of his awkward half daydreaming state to full alertness. He de-attached the girl from his waist and looked her straight in the eyes with his hands on her shoulders. "You're sure, its gold and magic."

Safiya nodded. "With an eye on it."

"You're positive." He said insistently.

She didn't like the look in his eyes. It was something unkind in them. "Yes."

"Where are they?"

Habib was not fairing well. He felt himself getting weaker every time his ka was attacked. He was lucky the monster was clever. It could dodge better than the Kaiser Dragon and attack more often. However, that only went so far. He panted as he supported Jono and tried to stand. "Hang on, Jono."

Serq was still enjoying himself. This had been more of a challenge than he thought. It was fun. "Tired already, slave? And I was having fun." Serq smirked as he saw Habib's temper flare. "That's right. Rage is what this duel needs."

"If you want to kill Jono, you'll have to kill me first."

Serq raised an eyebrow. "Such loyalty to such a poor master." Serq grinned. "You must be mad, slave."

"He is not!"

Habib and Serq turned. Safiya was standing behind Serq and with her was the protester Jono had yelled at earlier, the Thief King, himself.

He surveyed Serq and felt a rage. "You possess a sennen item. You disgusting..." Thief King straightened. "You may find attacking peasants funny but how will you fair when they fight back."

The Thief King tightened his fists and a gigantic glow appeared behind him. The glow became a pearly figure. It was much like a man but with three horns on its head rounded at the end. The figure's body had no legs but grew into an elegant feathered serpent. The figure also had two pairs of feathered wings. It was almost angelic as it was a brilliant white. "This is Diabound and he would like to duel." With that the figure attacked the dragon. The blow doubled Serq in pain and the dragon flickered from its true form to a jackal and back again.

Serq looked at Thief King with fear and disbelief. "You're the 'thief king'."

"I am." The thief king said proudly.

Serq withdrew his ka and tried to run off. Diabound blocked his way and growled.

"Let him go." Safiya said pulling Thief King's arm. "He learned his lesson."

Thief King hated to do it but with withdrew his ka and watched as Serq ran off.

"Thank you." Safiya said with a smile.

Thief King sighed. He hated to do it but... "You're welcome." he couldn't disappoint someone had listen to him rant so loyally. So without attacking, he walked off.

Safiya stood for a moment and smiled. "Maybe he is a god, after all."

* * *

Ta Da. Reviews are greatly appreciated. 


	3. The Accusations

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yuugi-Ou. I just make Shizuka look good.

**A/N: **This takes place some time before the Egypt Arch saga. I imagine around half a year before. Again, I hope any anti-Semitism is seen as proving a point that is not anti-Semitic.

For images of Serq and his ka, go here: http/www,deviantart,com/view/31171743/ (Just replace the commas with periods.)

**Mock Forms**

**Chapter III: The Accusations**

Serq was assigned a room on the far end of the palace to work from. Priest Set had set it up for him as so he could have a proper home in the city. The priest had taken it upon himself to look after Serq. He treated him much as an older brother would. This didn't bother Serq at all. He was adaptable, it was the way he was.

The room itself was not large; however, neither was the young architect. It was almost the same size as the tent he had worked in for his last position. The tent had, however, been more barbaric. His last job had been for a king of a group of nomadic peoples. They lived in tents and were almost constantly on the move. He had been employed to draw up battle plans for relaying. Not work Serq liked but it had paid well enough.

His current room was on the west end of the palace. It was a square room. The door was in the right corner. On the left side was Serq's bed and a desk. The desk was littered with sketches, quills and papyrus. He sat in a small chair diagonal to the desk. If you followed the wall from the desk, a bag sat in the corner overflowing with more sketches.

Serq was, at that moment, sitting in the chair trying to think of some proper designs for the tomb. It was that moment that the door swung open. Standing in the opening were two priests: Shada and Mahado. Both did not seem to be in the best of moods. Serq cocked his head to the side for a moment. He didn't usually see the priests, outside of Set that is, and he couldn't understand what they could want especially so angry.

"Serqmaaker, you have been accused of..." Shada said calmly.

"Of attempted murderཀ" Mahado interrupted.

"Whatཀ?" Serq didn't have time to recover. The priest, Mahado, had grabbed Serq by the arm and had begun to drag him down the hall of the palace. "What are you saying? Murder? I didn'tཀ"

"You attempted to murder a young artisan class citizen yesterday afternoonཀ"

Serq looked at the priest dumbfounded. "I... where is Set?"

"_Priest_ Set will not be attending the trial." Shada said in the same calm voice as he followed closely behind. "You will be tried by the Sennen priests, Mahado, myself and Akunadin, and the Pharaoh.

"I'm innocentཀ I'm an architect. I would never murder."

"A likely story." Mahado said irritated.

"Why would I murder? This is the greatest position in my fieldཀ Why would I risk itཀ? I have no motivationཀ" Serq said as he was finally pushed into the trial room.

The room was small with several chairs lined before Serq. In the center of the chairs sat Atem glaring at Serq with utmost disgust. Serq was shackled and positioned in the center of the room. Afterwards, the two priests took their places on either side of the pharaoh. Serq panted with anxiety. He didn't see a way out of this or how he could possibly be tried for anything.

"Serqmaaker, you are being tried for the attempted murder of an artisan and a young Egyptian woman. You have been tried with illegal dueling. You have also been charged with damage of property. Serqmaaker, you are considered guilty until you can be proven innocent. Your sentence is pending as of this moment." Akunadin read dryly from a papyrus.

"Do you understand your crime?" Atem said leaning forward slightly.

Serq took a deep breath but before he could reply the door swung open. A very angry Priest Set stormed in. The priestess Isis stood in the doorway looking bewildered. "He insisted my lord Pharaoh." The priestess said weakly.

Atem groaned. He was hoping to avoid this but it was unwise to tell Isis in the first place.

"THIS IS OUTRAGEOUSཀ If you were out to have my architect fired, you should have addressed meཀཀ Not have him charged for murderཀཀ The idea is..."

Atem hushed him. "This is not a political trial. It is a domestic crime case. The architect is being charged with **_attempted_** murder, damage to a slave and engaging in Ka duelling outside of the priesthood."

"Ka duelinglཀ?ཀ" Set looked mortified. "The boy does not know how to conduct a Ka duelཀ"

"He seemed interested at the temple." Akunadin chimed in.

"Interested. He is from a primitive desert peoples. He was in awe of us. That doesn't mean he can conduct a Ka duelཀ He does not even have a sennen itemཀ He can't ka duelཀ"

Serq stood silently. "I was interested in the monsters. I had never seen them before."

Atem looked unconvinced. "The reports describe the Ka. Akunadin read the report aloud."

Akunadin nodded. "Yes Pharaoh, 'the beast was a great snake gold in color with two wings'"

Atem thought to himself. "I believe that if we release his ka and it is the Kaiser Dragon. He is guilty. If not, he is innocent. Do you agree to these terms, Set?"

"This is foolishness but I agree. His Ka will not be the dragon so go ahead." Set said still fuming.

Shada raised the Sennen Ankh before the boy and revealed his ka. Serq moaned in pain as a form took shape. The beast hovered over his master. It was not a dragon. It was a dog, a jackal to be precise. The creature was adorn with jewelry like his master and funerary tags were tied to his tail. The creature had a crazed look in his eyes; however, he was not the Kaiser dragon.

Serq began to recover and forced himself up.

"Your Ka, Serqmaaker, is a symbol of death. He is a jackal. Can you explain yourself?"

Set was about to chime in but Serq spoke first. "He is not a jackal, my Pharaoh. We were a desert people. My Ka is a hound, a desert hound. He is not a sign of death but life. He is a guard and hunter, my king. He is a symbol of loyalty."

Atem eyed the Ka again. "Serqmaaker has been found innocent to this case. In the meantime, we have a killer on the loose with the power to summon Ka's."

Serq sighed and Set unchained him. Serq could tell that Set was revealed; eventhough, he didn't show it. Serq knew the trial had been almost as hard on Set as it was on him. Nevertheless, he was glad it was over.

Safiya looked over at Habib. They both had managed to get Jono back to their home the other day. Habib hadn't said a word since then and it was beginning to worry Safiya. She looked over at her brother. He was still passed out from yesterday and hadn't shown any sign of waking up. Safiya was worried. "Habib..." Safiya walked over to him and shook his shoulder. "Habib, what should we do? Habib?"

Habib turned to look at her. "Not now, Safiya."

Safiya looked over at her brother then back at Habib. "But Habib..." She sighed then walked so she was facing him. "Habib, Jono needs a priest. He's hurt."

"We can't go to a priest, Safiya. We're in hiding."

"Then we can go to a Hebrew priest. You said they live in the city. You said, you know where they were."

"You can't take an Egyptian to a rabbiཀ"

Safiya stepped back. He surprised her. Habib usually didn't act this way. She shook it off. Her brother was in danger. "He can soཀ Hebrews go to the priests all the timeཀ Why can't an Egyptian go to a Hebrew priestཀ?ཀ"

"You don't think I'd take him if I couldཀ" Habib shouted at her. "No rabbi would see himཀ Its hardly legal for them to practice in Egypt."

Safiya looked stunned. She really hadn't considered the strife between the two people or the severity of their situation. "Habib, what should we do?"

Habib rubbed his forehead. "I need some time to think."

Safiya looked at him pitifully. "Alright." Safiya snuffled to herself and walked outside holding her stomach. She sat down outside of the house by the doorway. She pulled her knees up to her chest with her arms around them.

"What's the matter?"

Safiya looked up half in tears. "Huh?"

"What's wrong?"

Safiya wiped her face. The Thief King was crouched down, about two feet away from her, looking her in the eyes. He seemed very curious and in some way concerned. "M-my brother st-still h-hasn't w-woken up. H-he..." That was about how far she got before she burst into tears.

Thief King had noticed a pattern in his interactions with the girl. She cried a lot around him when he tried to be nice. Unabated, he continued to stare her in the eyes.

Her crying settled a little when she looked at him, more by the way he was staring at her. He hadn't stopped staring the entire time. The only difference was a slight tilt of his head from one side to the other. But he still stared. She couldn't quite figure why. "Thank you for yesterday."

Thief King snapped back slightly. He was not used to being thanked. "Right. It was... nothing."

"King, what are you doing here?"

"I was taking a walk." Thief King said a little nervously. He didn't like talking with her. "I hear you and the... who does live with you?"

Safiya looked at him surprised. "My brother and... Habib."

"Habibཀ?" Thief King looked shocked. "A Hebrewཀ You live with a hebrew?"

"Yes." Safiya looked confused. "Habib has lived with my brother before I moved in."

"How did your brother get a deal like that?" Thief King said with a grin. He was enjoying himself.

"Deal?" Safiya was growing increasingly more confused. "They're friends."

Thief King's grin faded. The revelation came almost instantly. He realized that Habib was not a family slave. "He's...but...he's a hebrewཀ"

"He's a friendཀ" Safiya stood up so that she was now taller than Thief King and glared down at him. Thief King looked up the way a child looked up at his mother. "And what does it matter if he is! He's my friend and my brother's!"

Thief King was surprised to be lectured. He hadn't been lectured while sober since he was a child. He recovered quickly and stood up. She came up to his chin at best making him tower over her. He didn't say anything, just stared.

She was nervous for a moment. His eyes were not a comforting sight. She shrugged it off though and looked up at him. "He's a friend." She said firmly.

"Fine... I can't imagine **_why_**..." Safiya glared at him. "But whatever."

Safiya looked at him for a moment then forgave him. She thought to herself for a moment. "King, can I ask you something?"

Thief King looked at her suspiciously at first then folded his arms. "What do you want?"

"You know a lot about what is going on, right?"

"Yes." Thief King seemed surprised it was such a simple request. "Diabound can go places most can't."

"Diabound?"

"My ka." Thief King saw her confused look. He sighed. "It's a guardian spirit beast. Everyone has one. Your brother's and the Hebrew's came out yesterday. That was a ka duel." Thief King looked over at Safiya. The fact didn't seem to be settling her. So he changed the subject. "Your brother's attack went to trial."

"What?" Habib had just bursted through the door. He hadn't been listening before but it was hard for him to miss. "What did you say!"

Thief King had already begun to back away. He didn't like being approached so unscripted. Safiya was significantly less intimidating than Habib not to mention she adored him. So, he was just about ready to run off.

Habib wasn't going to have it. The moment Thief King took off, so did Habib leaving Safiya confused. Before she knew what was going on, Habib had Thief King's arm pulled behind his back as Thief King thrashed to get away. "What did you say?"

"I said they held a trial. Not that its your business, Hebrew." Thief King said as he wiggled out of a headlock. "I was telling _her_," Thief King pointed at Safiya. "that _her _brother's accident was taken to trial."

"A trial?" Habib looked almost worried.

"None of your business, Hebrew." Thief King said smirking.

Habib was almost livid at this point. Safiya wasn't the happiest, either. She spoke before Habib had the chance. "Leave Habib alone, King!"

Thief King's grin faded. He obviously had lost favor with the girl. He hadn't begun to think that what she was saying before was true. Many Egyptians said one thing and did another. He thought he had been free to mortify the Hebrew.

"The trial took place this morning. It tried the architect, a foreigner from the deserts."

Habib looked irritated but less angry. "So, all we can do is wait."

"Won't this draw attention to us?" Safiya asked Habib concerned.

"No." Thief King saidwith a smirk. "They never check on anyone afterwards." Thief King looked over at Habib. "And Hebrew, I said the trial was this morning. Its already over."

Habib looked interested. "What are they going to do with the architect?"

"Nothing. One of the priests pulled some strings and he got off. I'm not surprised in this country." Thief King was going to continue but he saw something in Habib's eyes. He looked like he had been punched in the stomach.

"Habib?" Safiya said concerned.

"How could he get off?" Habib said quietly.

"Priests." Thief King said calmly. He assumed that it was an open conversation. That and he wasn't one to hold his tongue. "Most of the higher ups aren't actually persecuted in trials. Besides, the Priest of the Rod likes him." Thief King paused looking at Habib. "Is he listening?"

"I can't believe this." Habib said under his breath and before Safiya or Thief King could realize what was going on he was gone.

Atem had not been particularly happy with the outcome of the trial. He had a bad feeling about Serq; however, he wasn't judging on feelings but on evidence and the evidence was with Serq. He hadn't attacked them but still. Atem leaned up against the wall of the palace halls and whistled to himself. It was a rare joy to have nothing to do and no business to attend to. It was unfortunate that it was being interrupted with his fears from the trial.

Shimon walked down the hall silently. He looked up to see the young Pharaoh leaning against the corridor wall. He looked to be lost in thought. "The trial was not unsuccessful?"

"He was not convicted."

"It is not the courts duty to always convict; regardless of what Shada may say."

"I have a feeling about that boy."

"Your first meeting did not go well, no?"

Atem thought back. It hadn't. "You remember correctly."

"Perhaps, the Pharaoh simply does not trust him from the meeting." Shimon looked out the open glass less windows in front of them. "Did the evidence support him?"

"It did."

"He is not guilty, then."

Atem groaned to himself. Shimon's wisdom was simple but correct. He was innocent at this point whether he committed the crime or not.

"Feelings can be dangerous things. They mislead and can blind even the wisest. You must listen to logic."

"He had a jackal for a ka."

Shimon turned to Atem slightly. "Well, that does not vouch well for his character." Shimon turned back to the window. "But if everyone was tried based on character, thieves would run free and merchants would to executed. Actions are tried, not the hearts. The gods will do that for us."

Suddenly, they heard yelling from below. Atem and Shimon scurried to the edge of the balcony to see what was going on. A man appeared to be dodging and fighting the guards. He looked up and saw Atem. "You let that bas..." The guard had come up behind him and managed to restrain him.

It was no time at all before Atem was on his throne and the rioter was standing before him. The guards had tied the rebels hands behind his back. He looked furious and hurt. Atem couldn't imagine why he had done this. The priests were at Atem's sides and appeared almost as furious as the prisoner.

"What are you doing here, Hebrew!" Akunadin yelled. He was probably the most rattled of all of them by the event. "What could you possibly want in the palace! What could you possibly be thinking!"

Isis was calmer. "Give me your name and work corps?"

The prisoner looked even more furious but tried to answer calmly. "Habib. Work Corps of Sekhmet to Bubastis. May I speak now?"

Atem did not understand the significance of the answer. The priests seemed to though. Mahado was the one who spoke. "That corps was transferred away from this city years ago." Mahado looked over at the others. "He's an illegal slave! That doesn't happen! Does it?"

The other priests, especially Akunadin, looked mortified. "This can't be! We have never lost a slave! Not in the history of the dynasty."

"Are you sure that is your work corps?" Isis asked nervously. She turned quickly to the other priests. "There is a 'Sekhmet of Luxor' that is still stationed. Could he have mistaken the corps?"

Habib didn't budge. He has stationed to Sekhmet of Bubastis. It had had over 50 member and there had been one other Habib, he was the elder. "No."

Isis looked worried. "Do we send him to his station?"

Kalim folded his arms and shook his head. "We can't. He all ready escaped. If we put him in with the rest, who knows how many will be loose like this by next year. We could have hundreds of illegal slaves loose. Most people can't tell if a Hebrew is in its post or not, or if it's a private slave." Kalim looked over at Atem. "We'll have to imprison him."

"He's at working age." Set said dryly. "If half the slaves were in his shape, we'd have twice the palaces."

"He'll rebel though, he's useless now!"

"Anyone can be persuaded." Set said stroking his Sennen rod.

Isis shot Set a nasty look. Then looked over at Atem. "He is to go on trial."

"What!"Akunadin, Set and Kalim said in unison. "That would suggest citizenship!"

The priests continued to argue the subject. In the meantime, Habib was fuming. He was stuck in the Egyptian beaucracy being argued over as Jono was back to the house still injured. He wanted justice. He hadn't felt this way before. Of course, there had been injustice. He was a slave. It was a given but this was unbearable. They hadn't done anything to deserve this. They had just tried to live decently. He was tired of it. He was tired of being silent and polite and hoping that it would all work out. "Will all of you shut up!"

The priest froze turning to look at Habib. They were stunned.

"Well you're arguing over what to do with _me_, the country is falling apart!" Habib was furious but had a new sense of confidence and assertion. "People are starving and living in the streets! Thieves are everywhere! My friend was almost killed the other day and the murderer **got off**!"

"How do you do you know anything about that!" Akunadin said indignantly. "That was a closed trial!"

"Who cares how I know! He got off and my friend is dying! He's a murderer!"

"He was found innocent and we don't owe any explanation to you, slave!" Priest Set said pointing his rod.

Habib yanked myself forward as the guards tried to restrain him. "He got off because he lives in the palace!"

"That's enough!"

"The thieves aren't because of the people either, they're there because they have nowhere to go!"

"Shut up!"

"And NOW, YOU LET PEOPLE DIE AND THEIR MURDERERS RUN FREE! YOUR COUNTRY IS A..." It wasn't until then that the guards has finally managed to restrain Habib and gagged him. He was still yelling but it was muffled by the gag.

Set looked outraged. "This is treason! I wouldn't be surprised if he murdered the craftsman to get in here and pull this stunt." Set turned to Atem. "I suggested that he's tried as a murderer and a traitor! He's a rebel and has no place in society!"

Atem looked at Set then at the Habib who was half frenzied. He had no choice but to agree with Set.

* * *

End for chapter 3. I love reviews so say what you think. 


	4. A Little Too Rash

1**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yuugi-Ou. I just write in Hebrews.

**A/N: **This takes place some time before the Egypt Arch saga. I imagine around half a year before. Again, I hope any anti-Semitism is seen as proving a point that is not anti-Semitic.

Jono is Jonouchi/Joey.

Habib is Honda/Tristan.

Safiya is Shizuka/Serenity.

**Mock Forms**

**Chapter IV: A Little Too Rash**

Thief King and Safiya were waiting inside the house after Habib left. Neither knew exactly what had happened; but both had a decent idea. Safiya was worried and had found a spot to sit by her brother's side.

Thief King, however, had other things on his mind. He was thinking about the boy with the Sennen item from the another day. He had never known anyone, besides a priest, to own one and something else seemed wrong too. The staff had seemed different than the other items. "Do you remember what the boy had said the other day?"

Safiya looked away from her brother and at Thief King. "What did you say, King?"

"I asked if you remember what that boy who attacked your brother said to you."

Safiya looked confused. "What does it matter?"

Thief King recoiled a little. He thought to himself then replied. "You want revenge, don't you? You need to know who it is."

Saifya looked at him curiously. "Revenge?" she thought to herself before answering. "I don't want revenge. I just want my brother to get better."

Thief King thought to himself. He didn't know if he thought she was foolish for not wanting it. "I just thought I could help you if the priests won't." He lied.

"You want to?..." Safiya smiled. "Thank you for trying to help us."

Thief King grunted to himself. He wasn't used to being thanked. "So, what was did he say to you?"

Safiya perked up and nodded. "He said that..." She thought to herself with a slight groan. "He said he was a 'noble' and that he... he mentioned the 'sennen staff.' That's what he said the staff was. I don't know what it is."

Thief King had a look in his eyes. It was vicious like a caged animal. "Did he say where he got it? Is it one of the seven?" Both questions were not thought out and had been said quickly.

Safiya was a little frightened. "King, what's wrong with you?"

"Did he say?" He was closer now and looked desperate. "Did he?" He approached her again grabbing her shoulders. "DID HE!"

Safiya was shaking terribly by this point. "King, stop it, you're scaring me!"

"ANSWER!"

"He didn't say anything! He just said what it was and that he was a noble."

Thief King stopped and let go of her. He was back to normal. He backed away again and sat down across the room.

Safiya was shaken. She didn't know where that had come from. She didn't think she had done anything. Maybe, he was crazy. Maybe her brother was right. She scolded herself, mentally. He had been upset. He always got that look in his eyes when she mentioned these "sennen" things. She didn't know why and maybe it was none of her business. "He didn't, King. He just said that he had it. He didn't say how he got it."

Thief King looked over at her. "You're not kicking me out?"

Safiya smiled. "King, if we kicked out everyone who got mad, no one would live here."

Thief King turned, a little embarrassed by her kindness. He had been kicked out of the House of Beer for less, far less.

"What are we going to do, King?" She asked.

"About what?"

"Everything. My brother. Habib. Us." She concerned.

"Your brother's ba is low. I don't know how low though. If its too low, he'll die." Thief King said looking at Jono.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" She said half in tears.

"Only priests can transfer ba."

"We can't talk to the priests. If they find out I'm single, they'll... Unless..." Safiya had a mischievous look on her face.

Thief King grew nervous. "Unless, what?"

"Unless, you were my husband." She said happily.

Thief King looked mortified.

"Then we could ask the priests. They never bother married women."

"I'm a criminal!"

"They don't know what you look like."

"I'm a rebel!"

"You said yourself, they never check on those things."

"Absolutely not!"

"But you like me."

Thief King suddenly realized what was going on. She was flirting with him. "No! Well yes, but no!" Thief King groaned. "You're... I'm not... No!"

That was that. Safiya's little fantasy was over before it even started. This didn't, however, help the situation with Habib. She didn't know for sure that he was at the palace but she almost was. He probably would be captured and she didn't know what after that. She thought to herself for a moment. "King."

Thief King looked over a little worried that she would try to get him to marry her again. "What is it?"

"I need to know what happened to Habib, King. Is there any way for you to find out?"

"What makes you think I can?" Thief King said gruffly.

"You knew about the trial. No one else knew about that."

Thief King was taken aback. She was smarter than she looked. He was beginning to think he had outstayed his welcome. "I can." He said getting up.

"King! Thank you! Thank you so...!"

Thief King stopped her before she ran over to hug him. "I said I can. I'm not going to."

Safiya looked dumbfounded. "Why!" Safiya was on the verge of tears again. "Why wouldn't you? If you can, why wouldn't you!"

Thief King sighed. "Its not exactly easy sneaking into the palace and its none of my business." He said and walked out of the house.

Safiya sniffled to herself and walked in front of Thief King. "Y-you h-have to."

"I don't have to do anything." He said and tried to walk away. She continued to block him from leaving.

"Y-you're al-always talking about how things aren't fair. How people are mistreated but the minute it actually happens to someone you know you won't even help! You're just a liar and a hypocrite!"

Thief King opened his mouth to say something but it seemed like she wasn't done and for once, someone else had more to say than the king of thieves.

"Habib is going to get hurt unless we help him and if you won't! Then I will!" She stomped off still weeping.

Thief King stood silently. She had just scolded him for the second time.

Safiya didn't know exactly what she was going to do when she got to the palace. Without Thief King's knowledge of the palace or information, she was almost going there blind. She approached the palace wall and looked around. Two guards were at the gate. She decided to do the most obvious thing to her; she was going to state her concern to the guards. Their pharaoh was kind. Surely, this would work. "Excuse me."

The guards seemed rattled at first. After the riot with the Hebrew yesterday, they were jumpy. They calmed when they saw who had approached them. It was a small, harmlessl woman. "Miss, we will have to ask you to leave."

"Please, I'm the sister of the man who was attacked yesterday. I just want to speak with the Pharaoh."

The guards looked surprised and sympathetic. "Do you think she actually lived with the..." One guard whispered to the other.

"I don't know but..." The guard turned to her. "I'm sorry, miss but,we can't. The Pharaoh understands your concern but you simply can't come in."

"But..." She said weakly.

"Please, miss. We don't want to make you leave."

Safiya began to walk away when she heard something. "Hey."

She turned around but didn't see anyone.

"Hey."

She turned around again and walked over to the far end of the wall. A slave from the palace was standing on the other side. "What is it?"

"Are you with the man who barged into the palace?"

"Habib! You saw Habib!" She said excitedly.

The slave hushed her. "Yes. Wow, its actually Habib. I never would have thought that that boy would have..."

"You know Habib?"

"Of course, I knew Habib. He used to live at the palace as a kid. He used to play with an Egyptian boy, everyone called Jonas, all the time. I don't know how that kid always snuck in."

Jonas she thought to herself. That must have been her brother. Her brother actually snuck into the palace. "What happened to Habib?"

"He barged in and picked fights with the guards. Its not like him."

"No, it isn't." She said worried. "What is going to happen to him?"

The slave groaned and looked around. "I'm not sure..." He grinned. "But I can find out."

The man gave her a shawl to wear on her head and walked toward the gate. "Don't say anything."

She agreed and they were able to walk right by the guards into the courtyard. "The guards never check the slaves. I'm going to go talk to someone. They'll know what's going on." He smiled. "Just stay here and act like everyone else." The man said and ran off.

Safiya stood in the courtyard for a few minutes until he returned. The man returned out of breath. "He... he had a... a trial an hour or so ago. He was convicted." The man looked upset.

"What does that mean?" She said. "He didn't hurt anyone did he?"

"The guards are fine but that isn't what he was tried for." Another Hebrew man had just run over. "He's being charged for murdering his master. They'll kill him."

"But! But he didn't do anything! My brother isn't dead!"

The two men tried to calm her but it was too late. Her yelling had drawn the attention of Priest Akunadin. He walked over to Safiya who was speaking Egyptian too well for a Hebrew girl. "What is this?"

The two men froze as Safiya began to sniffle. "Its my niece, sir."

Akunadin looked over at Safiya. _"First my brother, now Habib." _ It didn't take much mind reading to figure out that she was Egyptian. He pulled off her shawl. Sure enough, she was. "What are you doing here?"

She was shaking, her knees locked but she looked him in the eyes and told him. "My brother was attacked. The criminal got away and now our friend is in prison. I came to talk to the Pharaoh."

"You'll talk the Pharaoh all right. You're now a criminal."

Thief King was still at the trio's home. He somehow felt that he shouldn't leave. He looked around the small adobe. It had various things here and there. It is hard to imagine how tempting this was to him. He stole as an impulse sometimes. Not the big thrifts but little ones. He just couldn't help it. But even _his_ moral compass knew that it was wrong to rob someone you had just made cry multiple times in the past week. So he resisted the urge. Instead he sat down next to Jono. He was still unconscious. "If your first Ka duel was that hard on you, I'd take it easy."

Thief King looked over at him. He didn't even move.

"You don't have to answer." It didn't seem to bother him. "How does your sister get off saying that about me?"

"I'm no hypocrite." Thief King said irritably. "I'm sure you know what I mean when I talk about the Hebrew. I don't hate him. I just..."

"I don't think I had to go." He groaned. "And how she flirted with me. **_You_** have to get that sister of yours a husband."

Thief King looked over again. He was still inanimate. "And I am not crazy. I mean how would you be if you grew up in the desert. I'm just glad my father taught me the caravan trails."

"She gets off like I need someone. I don't and never will. I had my niche and that's just..."

"Do you always talk to yourself?"

Thief King looked over startled. Jono was awake and sitting up.

* * *

End of chapter four. Would love reviews. 


	5. Come Rescue Me

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yuugi-Ou. I just play ownership on the internet.

**A/N: **This takes place some time before the Egypt Arch saga. I imagine around half a year before. Again, I hope any anti-Semitism is seen as proving a point that is not anti-Semitic.

Dialogue Guide:  
"_Hebrew"  
_"Egyptian"

**Mock Forms  
****Chapter V:** **Come Rescue Me**

Jono sat staring at Thief King as he stared back. It was a very awkward few minutes; until, Jono soon refrained and looked around the house. It was empty besides himself and the rebel. It took him another moment to realize his situation and that Thief King was in his home.

Thief King decided that the confusion was the perfect time to sneak out. Jono didn't agree pouncing on him as he tried to slink out the door. Thief King was beginning to see a pattern. It was impossible to sneak away from these people.

"What did you steal, thief!" Jono said as he pinned the Thief King with his arm pulled behind his back. The other arm was firmly sandwiched between Thief King's chest and the ground. It was not a comfortable position.

"No...nothing." Thief King said with difficulty. His arm was digging into his chest and the man on his back was making it hard for him to breath. I was obvious, he had caught thieves before.

"Yeah right!" Jono yelled angrily. "I know your kind. You hover like vultures then kill, whoever lets you in, in their sleep and then rob them blind."

Thief King didn't know whether to be offended or complimented. If every thief had a reputation like that, no one would chase them off. "I don't have anything! Get off of me!"

Jono groaned suspiciously but got off of him. "I didn't think Kur-Elnans were still around."

Thief King froze and turned for a moment. "How do you know about Kur Elna?"

Jono pointed to Thief King's hair. "Only Kur Elnans have white hair."

Thief King looked at his bangs hanging in front of his eyes. They were indeed white. He snorted turning away from Jono with his arms crossed. "Whatever." He turned his head toward him again. "I didn't steal anything. I was watching the house."

Jono almost bursted out laughing. "You! You people can't guard anything! You're thieves!"

Thief King spun around defensively. This was exactly why he didn't share company. Even years later, he was still one of 'those people'. "Shut up!" he growled. "Someone harboring Hebrews doesn't have any room to talk!"

Jono was taken aback. The thief knew about Habib. "How do you know anything about that!" Jono snarled.

Thief King smirked. "I've been here for three days already. Its hard to hide a detail like that." Thief King said and turned to leave. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to get my only patron out of trouble."

"Patron?" Jono said confused. "Your... what?"

Thief King had forgotten for a moment that Jono had no idea what was going on. He sighed this would be a burden. "Your sister and that..."

"Habib."

"That Hebrew stormed off to the palace. I'm going to go get her."

Jono turned white and appeared shocked. "They..."

"Yeah. I was going to go get her out."

"And Habib?" Jono still looked in shock.

"Not my problem." Thief King was by now half out the door.

Jono recovered. "I'm coming too!"

Thief King groaned. He knew it had been only a matter of time. "You'll get in the way. I can get in and out without anyone even knowing I was there."

Jono began to think straight again. He had been in bad situations before and he had always gotten everyone out in one piece. "Then what?"

Thief King looked at him with confusion.

"If you break out two prisoners, they'll be criminals. We'll be criminals."

"Technically, you would be and my reward fee would just go up." Thief King mused. It was a cruel statement but a genuine one. He was odd like that.

"We have to find another way." Jono stood thinking for a minute.

Thief King fidgeted. He didn't like waiting like this.

"That coat of yours."

Thief King looked down at it. It was maroon, big and made of wool.

"Most don't wear red coats unless..." Jono gave him the same mischievous glare that Safiya had.

Thief King felt a knot in his throat. Was everyone in this house crazy? "Unless?"

"Unless, they're a king." Jono smiled. "We can get in. It's a long shot but we can."

Thief King didn't like the sound of that one bit.

Habib had been taken to the dungeons of the palace. He wasn't shackled even after the incident earlier. He had settled almost instantly after the trial. The guards had had no trouble with him. He just walked with them silently and did as they told him to. He didn't have it in him anymore. He just wanted to sit in his cell. Jono was dead. He had been convicted for his murder. The injustice of the accusation hadn't hurt him. It didn't seem to matter that he was going to be executed. It didn't matter that Set kept walking past his cell. That he was eyeing him trying to find a way to extract his ka. He could have it. All he wanted at this point was to sit quietly.

Set walked in front of the cell and looked in at Habib. He had been checking on him every hour or so. His ka had been revealed during the trial and he wanted that lion. The only concern at the moment was that the ka would morph. He had been sitting motionless in the corner of his cell for almost a day now. It could effect the ka. "Has he moved?"

The guard jumped slightly. "No. He hasn't done anything. I don't like it though. He makes the other prisoners angry. They don't like staring space with a Hebrew."

Set looked around. It seemed that the other prisoners were indeed unhappy with their dungeon companion. He turned back to Habib. He had to maintain the ka. "Hebrew."

Habib didn't answer. He wanted nothing to do with the priest. He wanted nothing to do with any of this. He wanted, at the very least, out of Egypt.

"Hebrew!" Set tapped his rod on the bars of the cell. It made an obnoxious clanging sound. "Hebrew!"

Habib growled to himself at first. The clanging was echoing in his head. "Shut up!"

Set would have been insulted but there really wasn't a point. He was already on the list for execution, why bother. "Hebrew, there is no point to getting worked up. You couldn't honestly think that you'd get away with murdering him."

Habib felt a sharp pain in his chest. The priest couldn't have said anything to hurt him more. If he weren't so exhausted, he would have lashed out. He had no reason to remain calm and decent and no reason not to abandon his principles. He was a convicted murderer. He was guilty no matter what his crimes. He would be written as a murderer and that was that. He didn't have the strength to though. Not even to that reply. He wanted his friend and that was that.

Safiya was faring better than Habib. Mahado had found a place for her to sit. He thought that it must be some misunderstanding. Perhaps she was one of the servants sisters or something. She just seemed too innocent to him and the ring thought so as well. Akunadin thought of her as a criminal however and Mahado had to respect that. He found a place to sought both ends. He got her a place on the far end of the palace away from anything and near to the dungeons. He was sure it was a misunderstanding however and that it was only a matter of time before it was sorted out. "How are you, now?"

Safiya was shaken and still sniffling. Mahado imagined that it was the shock from Akunadin. He was rather intimidating and she was such a small girl. She looked up at him meekly. "I was looking for someone."

Mahado nodded to himself. It was obvious what had happened. She was going to see someone in the palace, hadn't gotten an invite and snuck in. It wasn't the smartest thing in the world but it was perfectly benign. She was obviously not one of the sinners plaguing Egypt. "Don't worry. I'll go speak with the other priests. You'll be out of here soon." With that reassurance, Mahado walked off to go talk with the other priests.

He found Akunadin with the priests, Shada and Kalim. Mahado approached calmly. "I found a place for the girl."

"You mean, you locked up the criminal?" Akunadin asked.

"The _girl_ is on a bench on the far end of the palace."

"You left the criminal alone!" The three priests looked shocked and appalled.

"She isn't dangerous. Not in my opinion." Mahado groaned to himself as the three priests eyed him angrily. "She must have come in to see a loved one. She isn't a criminal. She's just very unlucky. She is not a sinner and that is what we are assigned to protect against."

Akunadin and Shada looked unconvinced but,. Kalim was willing to believe Mahado. The man had wonderful intuition and the ring was powerful in these areas.

"I say we test her with the scales." Akunadin suggested. Shada agreed almost instantly. He was compelled to be thorough.

"She is harmless." Mahado seemed annoyed. The young girl was around the age of his own pupil, Mana.

"Then she has nothing to fear." Shada looked decided and it was impossible to change his mind once it was made up.

Safiya sat where Mahado had left her. She had considered getting up and looking for Habib but she thought it unwise. She didn't know anything about the palace and it would definitely put her in a bad light with the nice priest she had met. So she waited on the bench.

Serq was out for a walk at the time on that end of the palace. He came to a turn and saw the girl. It was unusual. He had never seen the young girl in the palace. Nonetheless, he smiled cheerfully and approached the girl. He wanted some attention as it was terribly dull for someone his age. The priests were always busy and Mana was a bit too much for him most of the time. He stopped by the side of the bench with his hands behind his back and leaned closer to her. "Hello."

She jumped. He startled her, she hadn't even heard him coming. "Hello?" He seemed familiar and it wasn't in a good way.

"Are you visiting the palace?" He said with a slight giggle. His hands were still behind his back and still smiled cheerfully.

Safiya felt hesitant at first. She couldn't shake the feeling that she knew him. "I'm looking for a friend." She said bashfully looking at the ground. "He's a Hebrew who is in the palace."

Serq thought to himself. He didn't know many of the slaves in the palace. He stuck to his room mostly. "I have..."

It was then that the priest approached. Akunadin, Kalim and Shada all looked stoic as Mahado looked more irritable. Safiya began to tremble at the sight of the priests. She had never seen them so angry. Serq stood slightly behind her stroking her hand. He still hadn't completely recovered from the angry priests from a few days ago. "See, she's shaking! She's afraid to be judged!" Akunadin announced pointing at the girl.

She winced and jumped slightly. Serq also jumped. Both were more than a little shaken by the entire affair. "Serq is also shaking." Mahado chimed in placing himself between the two and the priests. "He was proven innocent. They're scared. It is not a sign of their guilt."

Safiya liked the kind priest. She thought that the King could learn a thing or two from him. "I-I am not scared." Safiya knew it was a lie. She was terrified but she needed to save Habib and if this was the only way then so be it. Besides after she was proven innocent, she could explain to the priests and maybe even the Pharaoh. The leaders of the kingdom were surely kind and they would fit this mess.

Mahado moved out of the way and smiled at Safiya. He seemed pleased with her bravery. Kalim stepped forward and lifted the scale before her. Serq cringed nervously squeezing her hand. Safiya was shaking slightly. The scale began to wobble. All of the priests were silent. Then it tilted. Mahado looked shocked as did Serq. Safiya was unable to do anything.

Akunadin looked outraged. "WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU DONE!"

Thief King and Jono sat a few yards from the entrance to the palace. Jono was thinking of exactly the right time to set their plan in motion.

Thief King was eyeing the palace too. He knew Diabound could easily get through the walls but then what. Stealing an object was one thing or spying, but a break out that was complicated at best. "If you were to choice, which would it be? If worse came to worse, that is."

"Choice?"

"Between the Hebrew and your sister." Thief King asked. "Its your sister, isn't it?"

Jono glared at him for a moment. "Both of them."

Thief King looked at him surprised. One eyebrow raised. "No matter what then?"

"No matter what." Jono said solidly.

Thief King looked away from Jono with a shrug and toward the palace. "I don't know why that Hebrew means so much to you but... if things get too bad, I'm leaving. I'm not stupid."

Jono looked at Thief King for a while before turning toward the palace. "You are nothing but a dirty Kuru."

"And you're nothing but a hypocritical Hebrew sympathizer." Thief King said. "Anyway, I'm Bakura."

"I prefer dirty Kuru."

Thief King didn't answer. Sometimes even the king of thieves has to lie down and take things. He owed the girl that much for coming to his rants and for not kicking him out. "So what **_is_** your plan?"

The guards stood outside the gates more alert than usual. It had been a busy week for them with the insane Hebrew, that girl and several trials. It made them on edge. However, the next site was anything but what they were expecting. Two men approached the gate. One was in a large coat and absolutely covered with jewelry. He had a rather large metal something on his head and stood stoic despite almost looking humorous. If the guards hadn't known better, they'd swear he was from Kul Elna. The other man was dressed in significantly less jewelry and more common attire. He appeared to be chatting with the other man as they approached. The guards felt completely clueless to what was going on.

"Is the Pharaoh ready to see us?" Jono asked confidently.

"What?" The guards looked at him puzzled.

"The Pharaoh." Jono waved his hand toward Bakura. "This is King, Kul-Ba..."

The guards stared blankly.

"You mean you've never..." Jono looked at them shocked. He looked at Bakura out of the corner of his eye.

Bakura looked back. "This is...OUTRAGEOUS! THE NERVE! AS SOON AS MY PEOPLE HERE ABOUT THIS..." He was on a roll. He was no beginner to rhetoric and his speeches were comparable to the Pharaoh, himself.

The guards jumped and began waving their hands. "No! No! Of course, we've heard of you!" The guards moved out of the way and extended one arm toward the open path. "We must have made a mistake. I'm sure the Pharaoh is anxiously awaiting you." Both of the guards seemed nervous and absolutely in a state of confusion.

Bakura nodded approvingly and walking in closely followed by Jono. They both slid behind a building wall and Bakura burst into a steady laugh. "I-I c-can't believe th-that worked!" He said still laughing.

Jono grinned. He agreed with the thief about that. He was surprised it worked too. "It won't work twice, though."

Bakura stopped laughing abruptly and looked up at him. "What?" Bakura's mood changed to almost irrate. "YOU GOT US IN HERE AND...!"

Jono hushed him. "That was stage one. All we have to do is keep it up. The guards are one thing but we need help to keep this up."

"Help?" Bakura looked at him suspiciously. "Are you holding out on my craftsman?"

Jono grinned. "Kinda."

Bakura raised one eyebrow.

"I could have gotten in by myself. I used to sneak in here all the time as a kid." Jono saw that Bakura was interested. "I used to come in through a tunnel by the gate. I had a lot of friends in the courtyard."

Bakura's eyes widened in surprise. "You are a clever little hypocrite."

Jono glared at him and turned toward the courtyard. He whistled and yelled something in Hebrew. Bakura didn't understand it but the tongue was recognizable. A small boy wandered away from the others and over to the two men. Jono whispered something to him. The little boy nodded and ran off. "I think we've got a way in."

"Once a Hebrew h.."

Jono interrupted. "Anyway, I asked for Jacob. He's the head of most of the slaves in the palace."

Bakura looked confused. "Slaves don't..."

Jono shook his figure. "Every sector has a Hebrew and Egyptian supervisor. It maintains more order that way. It used to be..."

"I don't need the details. So you know him?"

"By reputation... both ways."

"Perfect." Bakura groaned.

Jacob came over shortly. He appeared suspicious, annoyed and, most of all, nervous. _"What is it?"_

"_Jacob, I need to ask you a favor. Its important."_

Jacob looked irritated. _"And you are?"_

"_Its me, Jonas. Remember?"_

Jacob's eyes widened and he hugged Jono so tightly that he was lifted off the ground. Jacob babbled incoherently about it being "_good to see him_" and "_how he had grown_." Bakura however had taken several steps back and was utterly confused. He didn't understand a word of Hebrew and so the content of the conversation was beyond him.

"_Jacob..." _Jacob set Jono down. _'I need to ask you to help us get into the palace."_

Jacob looked surprised and a little disappointed. _"Jonas, that's not like you."_

"_I know but its about Habib. I have to get him out. It's the only way." _

Jacob groaned and rubbed his head. _"I don't know how much help you'll find here. Most of us think that the Egyptians are the cause of all of this trouble and that Habib is just a victim."_

"_Jacob, I need to get in. Can you try?"_

He groaned again._ "I'll try."_

Jacob only managed to convince several of the older Hebrews to help him. The younger men and women wanted nothing to do with him. There was a strong resentment of the Egyptians and even rumors of a rebellion brewing. The older did not completely disagree but they remembered Jono as that strange little Egyptian boy who went by a Hebrew name. It was a pleasant nostalgia that they didn't want to give up.

The first two escorts were two men around thirty. Both had somewhat of a position in the palace and a strong enough following in the Hebrew community not to be bothered. "We'll take you to the palace. A woman named Dinah will be there. She'll take you to the dungeons. Adam is going to be taking a shift as a guard then. He'll let you by without any questions. Meanwhile, we have two women, maids to the priests, who will make sure that the Pharaoh isn't informed."

"What about the girl?" Bakura asked.

"She hasn't been to trial yet. We'll have Adam's son look into it. He carries water from the wells to the rooms of the palace."

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

"Don't Jonas. We're just glad that someone cares outside of us." There was a pause. "Who's he?"

Jono looked over at the still overdressed Bakura. "Bakura. He's... a Kuru."

The two Hebrews appeared interested. "I didn't know anyone survived the plague."

Bakura's eye twitched. He would have said something but he wasn't talking to any more Hebrews.

Jono grinned as he followed the men through the courtyard. "I didn't either. Didn't they say it was a plague that happened all in one night?"

"Yeah. The Egyptians say it was Sekhmet, we say it was a work of God as well. They used to murder and rape anyone stupid or unfortunate enough to get too close to that village."

Bakura twitched and fidgeted.

"Yeah, I remember those. They were said to be a stupid people too. Mostly drunks and murderers."

The two men nodded as Bakura fumed to himself. The perception of Kul Elna was never going to change and he saw no sense in trying.

Safiya was quickly placed in line for a trial. She was terrified. She had no idea why she had failed the test of the scales. She had always been kind, gentle and by all standards good. Was it because she broken into the palace? She did not lie. She had told them the truth.

"Come in. Its time for the trial."

Safiya jumped and walked in. Serq was still clinging to her arm and no persuading could stop him. They both entered the main throne room. Atem sat on his throne overseeing the situation. Two guards had to, with some effort, pry Serq off of Safiya. This left her alone in front of both the Pharaoh and his priests.

"WHAT ELSE HAVE..." Akunadin began to yell at her.

Atem waved his hand and silenced the priest. "What is going on?"

Safiya's whole body was trembling. She didn't know what to do. So she did what she always did. "I broke into the palace, Lord Pharaoh."

Atem looked surprised. Usually criminals didn't admit their crimes so willingly. "Why?"

"I snuck into the palace to save my brother's friend, Habib." She was still shaking.

Atem didn't know what to say. She didn't seem to be lying. "Kalim. Shada, I think you need to test her again."

Both priests looked shocked. "But Pharaoh... the Sennen items are... never..."

"Just test her again."

The two priests begrudgingly tested the girl again. The scales was unswayed this time. She was innocent but before Shada could stop the Ankh, her ka was released.

The girl had found the experience less than pleasant and was dizzy on the floor. Above her hovered a small winged girl. The ka looked much like a small girl in a linen dress with pointed ears and small wing wings. The tiny ka fluttered nervously around her host and looked at the priests and Pharaoh with the uttermost confusion. The tiny ka was not the ka of a criminal.

Safiya looked up still sitting on the floor. She turned to the small fluttering creature. She knew her. It was a hard thing to explain. "Pharaoh..."

Atem looked over at the priests angrily. "_What is going on in this country_?"

* * *

Please Review. Thank you. 


	6. Conflict and Resolution

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yugioh. But I can't say I wouldn't like to.

**A/N: **This takes place some time before the Egypt Arch saga. I imagine around half a year before. Again, I hope any anti-Semitism is seen as proving a point that is not anti-Semitic.

**WARNING:** **_Contains slash_**. This will be possibly and most likely the only chapter with real slash but its there. Nothing bad but yes, the slash.

**Mock Forms**

**Chapter VI: Conflict and Resolution**

Habib sat quietly in his cell. He tried to ignore the priest still hovering outside. The execution would be in less than day and he just wanted to pretend that he had the time to himself. Set had other plans. He looked in at Habib in the cell again. He thought it was time to see if the ka had changed. He turned away and walked over to one of the guards. "Get Priest Akunadin and send the Hebrew to the arena."

"The arena?" The guard said, surprised. "But Hebrews don't even have ka..."

"Just do it!" Set barked.

The guard scurried over to find Akunadin.

Habib was taken from his cell and to a room outside of the dungeons. The room was large with a vast pit and a triangular shaped platform which hung below two other flat platforms. The lower platform was coated in spikes and it was hard to ignore the traces of death on the field. Outside the pit were several chairs for what appeared to be spectators. Two priests were present as Habib was guided in, Priests Set and Akunadin.

Habib was lead shackled and lead on both sides by a guard to the two priests.

"You will see what is done to murderers in this kingdom. And maybe you'll learn your place." Set smirked. "The Pharaoh may be lenient but I am not."

Habib didn't answer at first but the accusations were something he couldn't bare. "If you were half the man, the man that you think I murdered was..." Habib paused for a moment, looked down and spit at Priest Set. "You wouldn't actually deserve that."

"HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE A SLAVE!" Akunadin looked as though he were about to burst a blood vessel. He had never, in all of his years, seen such disrespect to a priest of Egpyt.

Set snarled. "You'll pay you impotent little..." Set took a deep breath and smirked. "Prepare a Ka Duel with prisoner 7 and the Hebrew."

The guards grabbed Habib roughly and walked him to one of the platforms. Across the artificial ravine on the other platform was a prisoner. The man was rabid and Habib could tell that he truly was a murderer. He didn't know what he was supposed to do but he had enough rage do just about anything. The closest person in his life was gone, he was on call for execution and he was tired of the mockery. He was not a 'slave'. His name was Habib and he was a better human being than half the men in Egypt. He wasn't happy and had nothing to lose.

Habib turned back to the priests. "I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS! BUT IF I DON'T SHAKE SOME SENSE INTO YOU, THE THIEF KING WILL!"

Akunadin and Set looked at each other with anxiety and shock. "The 'thief king'? The 'thief king' is in league with the slaves?" Set asked the older priest wearily.

Akunadin couldn't answer his anxious companion. He had thought that the 'thief king' was an independent renegade. However, it did make sense. He heard about a rampant thief, a Hebrew rebels and that girl. It would make sense that it was all connected. "I have to speak with the Pharaoh." Akunadin said urgently and turned to walk off. "Continue on without me. I will inform you; as soon as, I inform the Pharaoh." With that, Akunadin rushed off out of the dungeon.

Set stared in the direction Akunadin had left. He wasn't sure what his senior that concluded but he was sure it must be urgent because that really sounded better than the whole idea that he was senile. He turned to the guard and nodded. "Begin."

Two guards advanced on both Habib and murderer and began attacking them. The murderer was the first to release his ka. The beast was vile with large horns, fangs and claws. Habib continued to fight the two guards. He was unaware that this was a false assault. The guards were not trying to injure the prisoner. The prisoners were beaten so their ka's were released. It was the same principle as beating a bull before a fight.

Habib snarled and punched at the guards. He tossed one almost off the platform. The other was not far behind though and pinned the man. The other guard had found a spear and advanced. The murderer across the platform looked a combination of excited and anxious. Habib was pinned to the ground and saw the armed guard. He cursed loudly in Hebrew and thrashed but it was no good. He was boiling with rage at this point and thought he was going to be killed like livestock.

Suddenly, the armed guard dropped his spear and was staring up in horror. Habib looked over to see the guard on top of him doing the same and the priests as well. Priest Set looked as though he were about to pass out. Habib turned in the direction they were looking. His ka had been released but it was not the same. Not the same at all.

His ka had grown to be twice its original size. It was no longer a lion, well not entirely. The beast had the same body as the lion but had grown a pair of horns and stranger than still another head. The head was that of another lion with a single horn extending from its forehead. It was arranged on the shoulder ninety degrees for its brother head. The tail was no longer a tail but a snake. If the creature wasn't strange and intimidating enough, it had two massive wings sprouting from its back. The creature hovered over Habib protectively, snarling.

Both guards backed off quickly, running off of the platform. Habib rose to his feet and followed the guards with his eyes. His ka did the same. Both looked solemn as they stood on the platform.

Set continued to gawk. The ka was far more massive and powerful than he thought. The beast was Chimera, the Flying Mythical Beast. The creature was more powerful than half the ka's in the temple and it belonged to a slave.

However, Set didn't have time to gawk at it long. The murderer's ka lunged at Chimera. The creature had taken advantage of the situation and was trying to destroy the ka before Habib even knew what was happening. The monster bit and clawed at Chimera's neck. Habib grabbed his neck and screamed as Chimera roared in pain. Habib recovered and glared at the murderer. Chimera flung the beast off of his neck and hovered in front of Habib snarling. He was clearly two or three times his master's size but mimicked him identically nonetheless.

The murderer cringed. He had no idea that a slave could be so powerful or feel so much hate. He shook off the worry. He had killed more than his fair share of those, who felt this much hatred, inside and outside the ka stadium. The murderer chuckled to himself and surveyed the situation. The ka was too powerful for tradition methods. He had to play dirty and he knew exactly how. The murderer's ka sped forward.

Habib nodded to Chimera and he darted at his fellow ka. Habib thought he could end this quickly enough. He would attack the opposing ka wounding the murderer, the murderer would forfeit, and it would all be well and good. The murderer had other planned. Habib had turned away for a moment. His ka had missed it. The ka had disappeared from sight. Habib looked around frantically. Then he realized. "He wasn't..."

At that moment, the platform below Habib exploded. The murderer had sent his ka underneath the panel and destroyed it. The murderer couldn't defend his ka but he knew one thing with no vessel, no ka. Habib panicked and grabbed at the hanging platform. The center had been completely destroyed; however, chains still suspended the remnants. Habib clung desperately. He turned to the priests for a moment. Set stared indifferently sitting on his throne. He didn't see how they could do this. How they could sit there and watch him die.

The other ka loomed around Habib. His own ka too frightened to attack. If Chimera were to charge, the other ka would kill his master and it would happen in the blink of an eye. Chimera hovered far above Habib and the other ka about level with the murderer. He did the only thing that Habib's blinding fear directed him to do. He destroyed the murderer's platform.

The opposing ka disappeared and Habib felt a rough hand on his back. He was yanked upward onto the section of his platform still hanging fast. He was huddled, shaking and near hyperventilation. "You won, slave."

Habib turned slightly. He looked down onto the spike lined platform below. The murderer was impaled roughly through the torso. Fresh blood was smeared across the surrounding area. Habib whimpered, shaking heavier now and tried not to vomit.

Jono and Bakura continued on following the plan. It wasn't nearly as hard as they thought it should have been. It seemed that officials went undisturbed in the palace itself. They had continued until they were near the dungeon, a mostly unpopulated area of the palace. Bakura thought this was the perfect time to bring up something he had been thinking about. "Don't you ever talk about Kul Elna like that ever again." It was almost a snarl.

"I'll say whatever I want about_ that _place."

Bakura snarled and lunged at Jono. Soon, they were both on the floor of the abandoned corridor trying to strangle each other. "The people of Kur Elna were better than any of your dirty Hebrews!"

At that Jono grabbed the back of Bakura's head and pulled himself out from under Bakura. Bakura kicked wildly rolling himself and Jono across the floor. Most of Bakura's jewelry was being torn off and Jono's arms were covered in scratch marks. "Its just like a dirty Kuru to fight like an animal." Jono snarled as he pushed him away toward a small stairway.

Bakura recovered his balance before he got to the stairway. He looked behind him and then at Jono with a laugh. "Had your dirty Hebrew teach you that one!"

Jono lunged at him again. Bakura was not all together prepared and both of them when hurling down the stairway. Both clawed and grabbed at one other trying to get the other on the bottom as they fell. As it were, Bakura bit Jono putting him off guard enough to maneuver him so he hit the bottom of the stairway first. Jono hit the ground with a large thud only made worse by the weight of the other man on top of him. Bakura crawled off huddled close to the ground. He may not have landed on the bottom of the two of them but he had enough bruises that it didn't matter. Jono rolled over onto all fours and coughed. "You... you bit me!"

Bakura looked over sucking on his own bleeding knuckle. He wasn't sure but he was almost positive that the Egyptian man had scratched the skin right off. "You deserved it." Bakura said and when back to sucking on his wounded knuckle.

"You're acting like an animal. I guess I shouldn't expect any.." Jono stopped and looked at the thief. He was scratched almost from head to toe and was looking at him as he sat on the floor. He had a look of almost wounded anticipation. He hadn't finished the comment so he could not be angry yet but it was obvious that it still stung. Jono decided to finish without a jab at the thief village. "An-anything better from a rebel."

Bakura turned away from Jono and went back to sucking on his knuckle.

"You shouldn't do that. You should wrap it."

Bakura turned to Jono again and stood up. "So, where is the Hebrew?"

"He should be around here somewhere."

It was an unspoken truce. Both were not fond of each other but silently had just agreed to leave that out of it. Bakura had agreed because it was the first time anyone had avoided insulting his village. It was an obvious symbol of peace. So Bakura returned the favor. He wouldn't speak ill of the Hebrew again.

The two men walked along silently trying to find Adam, the guard. Prisoners followed them with their eyes. Most were too dazed or half crazed to be sure they were real. It wasn't normal for people to be walking around in the dungeons, unless it was priest; so they assumed they must be seeing things. So the two men had little trouble. It wasn't long before they spotted Adam. He was on the far end of the corridor holding a spear and dressed in a plain off white tunic. He cocked his head to the side when he saw them. Jono said something in Hebrew and Adam nodded and walked over. "So, you're the one's?" Adam raised an eyebrow and frowned. "I expected you two to be older... or look more... well..."

Jono laughed and Bakura smirked. They both had heard that before.

Adam looked both of the men over. He jerked his head back slightly. "Have you been fighting?"

"Yes, thanks to this idiot." Bakura said pointing at Jono.

"You're the one who bit me!"

"That was in the interest of self-preservation."

Adam looked almost horrified. "You bit him?"

Bakura growled. "He ripped half my hair out." It was a great exaggeration; even though, tuffs of the thief's hair could be seen on the floor of the hallway by the staircase.

"H-habib is that way." Adam said and pointed. "I'll stay here."

Jono ran off immediately, leaving Bakura and Adam alone. They stood silently for a moment then Adam looked over at Bakura. "We always knew he was crazy."

Bakura snickered to himself. "Really?"

"Yeah." Adam said leaning on his spear. Adam was only a little older than Bakura, who was in his very early twenties. He was by far the youngest of the Hebrews who had decided to help them.

Bakura thought the age difference was suspicious."Why are _you_ helping us?"

Adam turned his head toward Bakura. "I have to get married soon and I want to impress her father. I'm trying to marry Habib's sister."

Bakura grinned and began laughing to him. "You're doing all this for a girl?"

"Yeah. Its not that hard. They aren't as clever as you think in the palace."

Bakura grinned and walked off to go find Jono.

Jono hurried down the hall and up to Habib's cell. "Habi..." Jono stopped midsentence at the sight of him. Habib was huddled up much like the other prisoners in the corner of his cell. He didn't know what was wrong with him but he knew something was. Jono tore a piece of jewelry off his neck and began bending the metal in his hands. He was a craftsman, primarily in metals, that's where the jewelry had come from. He hadn't done much with locksmithing but he wasn't new to picking them. He picked the lock to the cell open and ran over to Habib. "Habib?"

Habib wasn't sure what was going on. The arena battle was still fresh in his mind. He had killed someone. He had done one of the things that was never to be done. He was lost in the thought. He thought he had heard Jono but he tried to ignore it. Jono was dead. He was hearing things. He had to be.

Jono bent down behind him. He was scared, very scared. Habib was not the type to ignore someone, especially not him. Jono put his hand on Habib's shoulder. "Habib?" Habib tried to scoot away from Jono. Jono wasn't going to have it though and put his arms around Habib from behind him. "What did they do to you?"

Habib felt it. He didn't care if he were crazy at this point. He turned slightly and saw Jono resting his chin on his shoulder. "Jo..." Habib practically tackled him he was so happy to see the Egyptian and began crying. Jono fell backwards only just catching himself. Habib was babbling in Hebrew too muffled for even Jono to understand as he smothered him with affection. "D-don't you ever d-do that to me again." Habib whined half in a sob. "D-do y-you have any idea how w-worried and what kind of c-crazy th-things I've been doing?" It was a rhetorical question. He couldn't help but guilt Jono at this point. He was openly hysterical.

Jono got him to sit up more so and squeezed Habib tightly. "Don't you run off while I'm supposed to be dead then." Jono realized it had been the wrong thing to say afterwards. He squeezed Habib tighter. "I'm sorry, Habib."

Habib made a noise between a groan, sigh and a whimper drowned in hysterical crying. "Don't you ever do that to me again."

Jono began to stand up. He felt himself on the verge of tears and didn't want to cry in front of Habib. He was technically the head of this rather unconventional household and didn't think it was fitting. "C-can you walk?" He said wiping his eyes. His coal smudged around them and watered.

Habib had calmed down significantly but he was still half clinging to Jono's arms. Only, he was now standing.. He was slightly taller than the other man and could see quite clearly now upset the Egyptian was. "Don't worry about me so much."

The tension between the two of them was astounding. Both had been terrified for the other. Both had been unquestionably in danger just being around the other but for their own reasons had fought to keep it that way. Habib was still gripping Jono's wrists. Jono groaned to himself and pulled Habib out of the awkward position and kissed him.

"What the...!"

The two men turned quickly. Bakura seemed to have just caught up with Jono. He was standing in front of the cell with a look of shock, surprise and on some level, terror. He had his hand on his forehead, mouth half open and eyes wide. Jono and Habib stood still unsure of what to do. Jono had forgotten that he had come in with the thief to be perfectly honest. "Uh..." Jono took a moment to observe the rather awkward scene. Habib now had his hands on Jono's waist it seemed and Jono seemed to have his hands somewhere around Habib's shoulders. Habib seemed to be doing the same thing. Both pulled away quickly fidgeting to themselves. "Its...uh..,"

Bakura still had his hand on his forehead. His lip twitched nervously. He was once again made speechless by these people. They did indeed have a twistedly profound effect on him.

"King!" Thief King turned quickly as Habib and Jono peered out of the cell. It was Safiya. She was smiling broadly at the three of them. "Big brother!" She ran over and hugged her older brother. "I got the Pharaoh. He'll handle everything."

Almost as if introduced, Atem appeared and walked over to Safiya from down the hall. He looked around at the scene. It appeared to be just as she said. The only concern he saw was that the white haired man appeared to be backing off aggressively. "What is all of this about?"

Safiya was still hugging her brother. She turned her head over her shoulder and smiled at the Pharaoh. She seemed calm, confident and trusting of him and his ability to see the truth in all of this. She turned herself more towards him but still held her brother's hand. "Pharaoh, this is my brother." She said directing at Jono. "This is Habib." She gestured. "And this is..." She turned looking over at Bakura. He didn't seem to want an introduction. "A friend of mine. All we want is to stay together. We're a family."

It was then that the priests arrived, Kalim, Mahado and Shada lead by Akunadin. The elder priest looked over the scene gruffly. He still didn't believe that any of them were innocent. He turned to Bakura and recoiled. He was a Kuru. "Pharaoh!"

"Priest... please let the girl speak." Atem turned back to the mismatched group. "I think she deserves to speak her case."

Safiya smiled and stood up straight. "We're a family. We help each other."

Atem raised an eyebrow. "A family?"

"Ridiculous!" Akunadin moved between the group and the Pharaoh to speak with Atem directly. "The definition of an Egyptian family is very clear. A group of related, married or children of any Egyptian. A sister and brother are certainly one thing but a Hebrew and a random rogue."

Serq stood lurking around the corner in the dungeons. He hadn't seen Safiya since the trial and was looking for her.

Thief King snarled at Akunadin's analysis. "How DARE YOU!"

The Pharaoh and priests turned quickly. Safiya, now clinging firmly to her brother's arm again, turned as did Jono and Habib.

"These people are more of a family than anyone I know! They watch out for each other. They protect each other. They broke into the PALACE FOR THE HEBREW, FOR THE SAKE OF THE GODS!" Thief King was fuming. His chest heaved he was yelling so loudly. The dungeon was still. It seemed as though the thief had the captive audience he had always wanted. "I hardly like what the two men are doing or even know any of them that well but they are a family. And if you say otherwise, you will have Bakura Kul-Elna to deal with."

Safiya smiled at Bakura as Jono, Habib, the priests and the Pharaoh all looked dumbfounded. "Kul Elna?" Atem asked to himself.

Akunadin made an awkward noise and looked at the Pharaoh. "My Pharaoh, you can't take this thief seriously. He must be a lunatic. The Kul-Elnans died in a plague, a deed by the gods. No one..."

"But they are a family."

Everyone turned. Serq had inched from the corner to the center of the discussion itself. He had his chin cocked down but was still looking at the priests.

"I talked to her. She was looking for her friend. Safiya would never do anything wrong unless she needed to help her family."

"What do you know about this?" Shada said irritably.

"Priest Set will help me with anything. She will do the same thing for her friends." Serq said quite seriously. He was staring directly at Atem. "They won't do anything wrong as long as all of them are all right."

Atem smiled at Serq and turned to the priests. "I am done with falsely accusing my subjects. The girl was found innocent and the Hebrew was only protecting her and his master. Release them both."

"But sir!" Kalim said angrily. "What about the thief and the craftsman? They invaded the palace."

"Pardon them. They did what they thought was best." Atem turned back to the group. "Leave as quickly as you can." With that the Pharaoh turned and left quickly followed by four very annoyed priests.

The group left the palace together. Safiya clung to her brother's right hand, Habib stood on Jono's left side and Bakura on Safiya's right. "King, what did you mean by you didn't like what Habib and Jono were doing?"

Jono and Habib both chimed in in unison. "Nothing. Nothing. He just doesn't like us much."

"Oh. Is that true King, you don't like my brother?" Safiya turned away from Bakura for a moment and raised her lady to her chin. "You aren't anywhere near teaching a lady the way Priest Mahado does."

Habib laughed to himself, Jono seemed outraged and said something along the lines of 'what did he do'; however, both of them were blocked out by the fourth member of the party. "I AM... YOU CAN'T... I'M BETTER THAN ANY PRIEST!"

Safiya uncovered her ears. "The priest wouldn't yell for one thing." She said half in a daydream.

"What did that priest do? I'll kill him." Jono said, trying to turn around as Habib restrained him.

Thief King snorted. Safiya looked up out of her daydream and smiled. "You're jealous, King."

"Am not." He said still sulking.

"I think you are." She said smiling a little deviously.

"What did he do?" Jono still trying to interject.

Thief King turned to the trio irritably. He knew it was a bad idea to try to be with these people. But still he did like the girl, she had been better to him than most or any for that matter. He turned to Jono who was trying to persuade his sister to tell him what she had meant. Habib was close by his side smiling and chuckling to himself over the whole situation. He didn't fit somehow. The trio were so perfectly connected. "So how long has she known?" He said casually.

"Known what, King?" Safiya asked with her head cocked to the side.

Jono immediately stopped chattering and Habib turned a pale olive color. Jono pulled away from Safiya and walked over to Bakura. He gave him a stern look and turned back to the others with his arm around Bakura's shoulders. Habib was still a pale bronze from worry. "Nothing! What wouldn't I tell my little sister?" He said with a broad grin.

Bakura looked from Jono to Safiya and Habib. He decided to keep his mouth shut. "I guess I was wrong." He moved Jono arm off of his shoulder. "I'm going home. I have business there."

The trio looked at him surprised. "Do you have to go?" Safiya said and ran over grabbing his hand.

"You haven't eaten though..." Jono said looking at him with his head cocked slightly. "I mean you helped save Safiya and Habib... I should treat you to dinner or..." Jono said awkwardly with his arms crossed.

Safiya smiled broadly at her brother then at Bakura. "You have to stay for dinner!" Habib laughed to himself. He knew Jono would lighten up to the thief.

Bakura pulled his hand away from Safiya defensively and backed up a little. He looked nervous and awkward. "I have to go." He said and ran off.

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Thank you for reading and review if you have any comments. 


	7. Of Jackals in Ghost Towns

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yugioh. But I can't say I wouldn't like to.

**A/N: **This takes place some time before the Egypt Arch saga. I imagine around half a year before. Again, I hope any anti-Semitism is seen as proving a point that is not anti-Semitic.

A whole lot of switching between Jono, Habib and Safiya to Bakura. Sorry it took so long. I've been trying to write this from months and it wouldn't come.

**Mock Forms  
****Chapter VII: Of Jackals in Ghost Towns**

"Do you think I should have stayed with them?" Bakura asked.

The thief didn't look up. He was sitting on a stone in the ruins of a desert village. Broken adobes lined the forgotten streets. There were the scarce remnants of the town lying in the streets mostly pots and broken wagons. Occasionally, a human bone was seen but the city was more of a forgotten relic than a graveyard. Bakura leaned back on a wall of one of the adobes and let it support him. He was in Kur Elna, a small village far off the beaten path of anything. Accused of being a thief town, this was his home and the only one he ever equated to that word. It wasn't a relic or ruin to him more it was a sacred place. He rarely came but when he did it was for reassurance and reflection. The way a grown child goes to his parents for guidance, he went to his sacred ruin.

"I couldn't stay with them. I just..." Bakura paused and closed his eyes as he tried to think. "Did they actually want me to stay?"

"I don't see why."

Bakura jerked forward and his eyes shot open. He never received an answer to his questions. The dead didn't speak. Someone was invading his sacred tomb. He leapt to his feet and looked around. "Whose there?"

"No one. Who would come to a place like this?"

Bakura snarled and looked around quickly. He hurried to around the corner of the adobe but when he found the intruder, he lowered his head in confusion. "You're... you're the foreigner from the palace."

The boy turned his head over his shoulder. He was on his hands and knees seemingly picking at the sandy earth of the ghost town. He gave him an apathetic look. "Yes... Serqmaaker or that's what I've taken to calling myself. I suppose am a foreigner. But then again not really. I'm a wanderer. We don't have a homeland and you need a home for anywhere to be foreign. I think even a moronic thief like yourself can understand a philosophy that simple."

Safiya groaned to herself miserably. They had made it back to the house without fail. Jono seemed more than happy to have the whole ordeal over and done with. He was working in a corner of the house shaping out a setter for what would most likely be a piece of jewelry. Bronze wasn't that hard to work with for him and it seemed to be moving along well enough. A customer had asked him to make a choker the day before he was attacked. Habib had bought the bronze that day but due to the circumstances, he hadn't been able to start work until now.

Safiya groaned to herself unhappily. Habib was the first to say something. "He'll be back, Safiya."

"How do you know that?" She said sniffly.

"Because thieves don't leave for long when you offer dinner. He'll be here before dark with some excuse." Habib said with a grin.

"And clean us out." Jono muttered to himself.

"I hope so..." Safiya sighed heavily and looked up. She needed to get her mind off of the thief. It hardly took a moment for her to notice something wasn't quite right with one of her companions. She hadn't been paying much attention to them being distressed over the thief rejecting her. She scolded herself mentally for acting that way. She was the lady of the house and it was her duty to see to emotional matters. Her brother seemed fine working. She turned to Habib. He was sitting to himself quietly. "Habib?"

He looked up only with his eyes and forced a smile. "What is it?"

She shot him a sympathetic look. "Is something wrong? Did something happen to you in the dungeon?"

Jono looked up from his work and over to Habib. He hadn't thought of what might have happened to him since they left the dungeon. He was too happy they were out to think of it. "Yeah, you have been a little quiet lately."

Habib sat up erect at the statements. He considered telling them about the duel. He considered telling them what the priests had done. However, that meant he would have to admit to being a murderer. He had disregarded a quintessential law of his people. He was too proud to admit it to them and he didn't want to hurt their friendship. It meant too much to him. "Nothing..." Safiya and Jono were still staring at him, both with the utmost concern. He knew better than to tell them. Even if he were afraid of their judgment, Safiya would most likely cringe all the way through the story and Jono would develop an ulcer from worry. He decided to let it rest. Some things weren't meant to be shared. But something else was bothering him as well. "Safiya, was that boy the one that attacked us?"

Safiya looked surprised. "I think so but he was so kind. I don't know why he..."

Jono shot a look over to Habib. "What do you think he's getting at?"

Habib sighed and rubbed his forehead. "The more I see him and think about it. The more I think I may know."

Serq continued to stalk around. He hardly seemed to notice Bakura. She appeared to have his mind on other things.

Bakura fumed. "Fine, you're a wanderer. Now get out!" Bakura snarled and Diabound reared.

Serq finally took notice and stood. He held the staff loosely in his hand. "Put that thing away. I'll be gone in a minute."

The thief recalled the ka bewildered. "What have you been doing anyway?"

Serq sighed. "I should ask you that too? What would someone be doing in Kur Elna. It's a ghost town wiped off the face of Egypt by a plague."

Bakura snapped. "Shut up! Is that what they're saying in the capital..."

Serq grinned. "Calm down. Rumors aren't always the most reliable source of information. Something magic happened here."

"It wasn't mag-"

"And those who committed this magic were granted unlimited power." Serq said to himself. It was almost a monologue. He was speaking as though Bakura was only there so he could think a loud.

Thief King frowned. Everything inside him was saying that he should lash out at the boy except for curiosity. How could a nomad boy know that? "Where do you come from?"

Jono and Safiya looked at Habib with anticipation. Jono grew frustrated. "Well what? What do you know about it?"

Habib cleared his throat. "I'm not entirely sure but the Hebrews have a lot of legends and the one about the Noddians just keeps coming to mind."

Both Jono and Safiya looked at Habib confused neither seemed to be familiar with the legend. Though it was Jono who made the realization first. Safiya wasn't nearly as well versed in Hebrew folklore as Jono. "You don't mean Nod? That's a desert country to the north isn't it?"

Safiya nodded to her brother and turned to Habib. "So he's from the northern states. Like Sumeria or Ekron?"

"No.. Nod isn't a country. Its more of a..." Habib groaned a bit. "A state. You're in Nod when you don't have a home or when you're exiled."

"How can someone be from somewhere that is nowhere?" Safiya said bewildered.

Habib groaned. She had a point. If you weren't used to migrating, it was hard to understand the nomad races. He was used to hearing about them. His people were once nomads and nomads were often times well informed. It was the only way to survive in the desert. "A lot of group don't have permanent homes. They move from one place to other or are looking for a permanent home. According to legend, the Hebrews used to live in a northern state but were forced out and had to wander the deserts looking for a place to settle. We wandered into Egypt on accident well herding our flocks. We were sheep herders."

Safiya looked at him bewildered. "It's nice to learn some history but what do Hebrew migrations have to do with the boy from the palace or the Noddians for that matter?"

Habib shook his head. "You didn't let me finish. The Noddians are like the Hebrews used to be only they never had a home and they don't want one."

"But Serq lives here."

Jono's eyes widened. "He's looking for something isn't he Habib?"

"Probably."

"I come from Sumeria, Nubia, a bit of Kush, and even a spell in Canaan. Wherever the things are better than others." Serq said drawing on the ground with the end of his staff. "You stood know about that if you're a thief."

Bakura thought to him for a moment. The boy was a jackal for sure and one that spoke in riddles. What type of jackal would live with engineers, traders, conquerers and slaves? You could learn a trade in Sumeria, rhetoric in Nubia, ruthlessness in Kush and manners in Israel. "You're gaining power, aren't you?"

Serq grinned brightly.

"You're trying to conquer something."

Serq grinned. "Being a nomad with all of its freedom and glory does nothing for luxury. I'm lazy and I'm tired of being... expelled."

"You're one of them aren't you? You're one of the Sab, aren't you?"

Jono eyed Habib for a moment.

"We have to help the thief." Habib said quickly.

Jono perked up in surprise. He wasn't expecting Habib to say _that._ "What is this about Habib?"

Habib turned to them frustrated. "The Noddians are dangerous. We have to help the thief." Habib was now standing and moving toward the exit of the small house.

Jono frowned and walked over his friend. "Habib, what are you talking about dangerous? How can he be dangerous to the thief? You saw his ka and it wasn't exactly... small." He grabbed him by the shoulder to stop him from leaving.

Habib groaned. "They've always been dangerous. I don't know how but they are. They don't look it. He'll find a way though. You have to trust me, I know what I'm talking about."

Jono stood silently for a moment. Safiya was a few feet from the men and stood silently. The comment about the young boy rattled her. Habib almost always knew what he was talking about. The thief could be in danger, her friend. She cleared her throat. "If Habib says he's dangerous then he is. Habib's never lied to us before..." She paused with a blush. "And King helped save me. He saved me twice. I can't just let him get hurt." Her small fists were clenched as she spoke. "I'm going with or without you." She said and ran off out the door.

Habib looked Jono in the eyes then took off after her. "Wait!" The Egyptian shouted to his housemates. He hurried in front of them and blocked their path. "Both of you are... he's a thief."

Safiya stomped her foot angrily. "Yes, he is. He's a thief and I'm a woman who ran away from an arranged marriage. You're a man who did the same! Two siblings who ran away from two parents who cared more about themselves than us! So you met him!" She pointed to Habib. "Whose a Hebrew living with two Egyptians! We're all thieves just like him!" Safiya was not as speaking at boldly. She was on the verge of tears. Her voice was cracking but she tried to stand firmly in front of her brother. "We stole the way we live because we couldn't have it any other way! He's my friend and he's right! Everything he says is right! I want to help him! I will whether you let me or not!"

Jono stood a little shell shocked. He looked over at Habib then back to his sister. "Thieves, huh?"

"Metaphorically... or... in a matter of speaking." She said in no more than a whisper.

Jono was silent for a moment. He sighed and looked at his companions again. "So how do we find our fourth thief?"

"Sab... that's one I haven't heard in a while. Only the tribes on the outskirts called us that... So I was right. You are of the thief town. What a bother. You'll be trying to stop me then."

It hit Bakura in a flash of insight. The staff was not one of the original. He had defiled Kur Elna to create it. He had come once before and he was back again. That's why he was rooting through the sand. He was looking for the bones that were left behind. "Get away from there!! What are you DOING JACKAL!!?!"

Serq cocked his head and grinned almost wickedly. "I'm stealing a bit of history. You should know all about that."

Diabound emerged and reared. He was enormous leering over the Thief King like a massive guard. His wings enveloped the area in something of a spirit shadow. He wasn't a true physical beast but he was solid enough to emit something like one. Bakura snarled and Diabound mimicked him. He was his shadow after all. An imitation of his feelings and what made him who and what he was. "Don't you DARE!! GET AWAY FROM THERE!!"

Serq rose to his feet. "You were lucky last time thief. You caught me off guard. You won't have that luxury this time."

"There's in no you can beat me! I have something to defend. Someone like you can't understand that!"

"Don't be so grandiose. It doesn't suit a thief." Serq said and sneered. "Run along. The adults have work to do."

"You pompous, arrogant...!!!"

Diabound lunged at the boy and crashed into the earth. The boy seemed to have vanished into thin air. "Over here."

Bakura turned quickly to see that the boy wasn't bluffing about having some type of power. He had somehow dodged the attack. Though that wasn't was surprised him. "The Sennen eye?" The boy's forehead was marked by a black marking shaped like an eye. It was emitting a dark light if that made any sense at all. It was his staff. That cursed item's power was infused in the boy.

"Yes, this eye is a sign of the power that the items give their bearers." Serq cocked his head so he was turned half away from Bakura. His jackal ka emerged grinning manically as he floated above his master. "I hope you're ready for a real ka duel." Serq said with a smirk and a dark haze filled the streets.

* * *

Review if you enjoyed. I love to hear what you think.


	8. Mind Games

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yugioh. But I can't say I wouldn't like to.

**A/N: **This takes place some time before the Egypt Arch saga. I imagine around half a year before. Again, I hope any anti-Semitism is seen as proving a point that is not anti-Semitic.

Jono has royal moodswings.

I'm a little worried that TK's personality is completely off in this chapter.

**Mock Forms  
****Chapter VIII:** **Mind Games**

Jono sighed. "Alright. How are we going to find him? That thief isn't exactly easy to find when he doesn't want to be. The palace has been looking for him for months."

Safiya hadn't thought of that. The Thief King had always come to her. She'd never actually found him on her own before. She began to think. She certainly didn't know enough about the man to know where he would be but maybe someone else did. "We need to find Diabound. If we can find Diabound, King will be nearby."

Habib smiled weakly. Jono didn't seem so encouraged. "How do we do that? He could be hiding in some cave out in the desert and that's if Diabound is even out."

Habib frowned and nudged Jono with his elbow. "It was a good idea, Safiya."

She groaned and began to think to herself. How do you find a ka? Who would be able to find Diabound? If his ka were out, it would be hard to miss unless it were invisible, of course. There was always that problem. The Thief King could make his ka invisible. She mentally scolded herself. She wasn't thinking. To find a ka, you have to... It hit her almost at once. Why hadn't it come to her earlier? She and the King were friends. Very close friends. That meant there was inevitably an emotional link between them and if they had a link. So did their ka's. "I know how to find him." She said with a pleasant smile.

Jono crossed his arms and sighed. Habib shot him a look almost to scold him for his impatience with his younger sister.

Safiya ignored her brother. "My ka can find him."

Habib just stood for a moment quite still. Jono on the other hand walked forward. If not angry, he seemed disagreement at the very least. "Absolutely not!"

"But she can. I know she can!"

"I don't care if she can or not. We're not using those things again." Jono grabbed her by the arm as he spoke to her almost to drag her back to the house. "Ka's aren't supposed to be out flying around. They're supposed to stay..."

Safiya pulled her arm away. "I can't do nothing. I'm not a child anymore! I'll go alone if I have to!" She said and without warning her ka emerged. The creature or creatures more accurately, as there were three, hovered above their mistress. Each was small and feminine winged and childlike.

Jono snarled at his sister and grabbed her by the wrist. "You are not going!" The two siblings were silent for a moment and stared at one another. Jono wasn't willing to give up his little sister that was for certain; even if, inevitably she was going to grow and leave him to start an unsheltered life. They were both silent for a few long minutes.

"I need to help him." Safiya said pulling away from her brother and began to chase after her now venturing ka.

Jono watched as she ran off. "She..."

Habib walked from behind and shoved his shoulder a little. "Let's go." He said and began to walk after her.

"Habib!"

The paler of the two stopped and turned looking over his shoulder. "What?"

"She's falling for a thief."

"Yeah... not my first choice but..."

Jono charged at the other man and stopped only inches from his face. "**I am not letting my little sister...**"

Habib sighed. "I know. She's your only sister. If you came from a family like mine, you'd..."

"I'd what?"

"You'd know that little sisters grow up. Safiya is turning into a young woman, Jono. I admit the thief isn't the greatest option but... he saved her Jono and us. He cares about her."

Jono snarled under his breath. "I won't like it."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"And you aren't allowed either."

Habib's expression grew indignant. "And why do you have any say in that?"

"Because you don't agree with me, you'll have to deal with it every day and night at home."

"I see your point." Habib said with a sheepish grin. "We have to go though. We can't let her go alone."

Jono groaned and sprinted after his sister.

The eye on Serq's forehead was a solid black and was a perfect circle with two arches on below and on above which curved out into a straight lines parallel to one another. The eye, now that it was being examined, was only glowing faintly. It radiated a dark light, a purplish hue. Bakura recognized the eye almost instantly as the eye of the book of sennen magic. He'd know it anywhere. Bakura snarled and Diabound loomed over his master. Bakura didn't want to take any chances when it came to the jackal. He wanted to defeat him and to, if at all possible, discover how he'd gotten his hands on one of the cursed items.

Serq's jackal ka reared as well behind him. The creature was grotesque to say the least. It was a solid black with wide maniac eyes and a grin across its face. Memorial tags hung from his tail and he, like his master, was overly adorn with jewelry. Both seemed to exude a level of vanity that exceeded that of most. The boy grinned but it was hardly a welcome look. "I hope you know that your ka won't save you this time." The boy said. This staff glowed dimly and his jackal was transformed.

The thief gawked wide eyed. It certainly was not impossible for a ka change. It often did during the course of a human life. His Diabound had actually spent a week as a sort of magpie during a particularly gluttonous stage. But they did not change so rapidly and not into gods. The lowly jackal that had stood before him was now one of the king's gods. He was long, crimson and serpentine with two massive jaws and spines lining his back. The creature roared. "That's... imposs..."

"Impossible? Yes, I know. It would seem impossible to a thief, wouldn't it? But with the right hand, any ka can become such a beast. You wouldn't understand that though. Especially with your... short sighted intuition."

Bakura tried to ignore the jackal for a moment and thought to himself. He was by no means an expert in the field of ka's. Well, he was as thieves went but that really wasn't anything to boast about. He did know one thing though about the nature of ka's. They didn't change instantly. It was a progression. It was impossible for his ka to go from a stupid drooling vulture to a god in seconds flat. Unless. It must be the staff. The staff was changing the ka into whatever it's wielder wished. Bakura felt his stomach twist in knots just thinking about it. His best chance was to retrieve it from the boy. Then he would be left with nothing but that jackal to defend him, an easy query for old Diabound. But to retrieve it, he needed his wits. "You'd be nothing without that cursed staff, jackal." Attacking the boy's pride was the only move he could think of. If he had Diabound try to snatch it, the boy could a launch a large scale assault.

"I wouldn't consider it cursed. She's bought me nothing but luck in these past weeks. The tome was certainly as valuable with older bones."

Bakura snarled. "Pay your respects to the dead, jackal! Those are my family!!"

Serq made a face of fake sympathy. "Oh, it seems as though the story is coming together. Poor little thief is the last of a proud race of desert dwellers. Forced into the world at a young age, lonely and destitute. How sad." Serq smiled. "If you weren't going to lose in the end, it would almost be a fairy tale of adversity."

Bakura snarled again. "You vile, disgusting...!!!"

"You're going to hurt my feelings at this rate." Serq looked at his nails for a moment as Osiris hovered overhead. "I know, how about a little game? I adore them and I'm sure being a thief with all of your stealing and gambling, _you_ would enjoy it."

Bakura didn't like the sound of a game but he had no choice. He couldn't attack and risk any ba with the god looming over its master. He could only hope that the game wasn't as sick as its creator.

"Oh, don't worry. It's simply a game of wits. All you have to do is defeat my little puppy in a setting of my choosing. Any idiot could do that, even you." Serq said and grinned. His staff began to glow dimly again and the setting of the old ruins faded away.

Bakura looked around. He was still Kur Elna but it was new. The buildings were standing and lights flickered in the windows. Animals were in their stables quietly munching on their fodder or sleeping peacefully. It was twilight and the whole town was settled into a docile state. Bakura felt a twinge of ecstacy. It was as though the village was never destroyed. It was perfectly fine and orderly or as orderly as an arid village could be.

He stood stunned for a moment. He didn't rightfully know how to react to such a sight. He hadn't seen his village, his home, fully constructed in fourteen years. Emotional conflict was something he should have expected. If he could _ever_ expect _anything like this_. The pit of his stomach was in a knot as he were punched hard; however, it was overshadowed by giddiness. He was more or less overjoyed.

Bakura approached one of the adobes and looked inside. Inside the adobe, a woman was at her loom threading wool yarn to continue her weaving. Kur Elna had a very recognizable style of woven clothing. It was brightly colored with vivid patterns and made of wool from the sheep of the village. The bright colors often made outsider believe it had been stolen. Outsiders were like that. Always assuming about things that they knew nothing about. On the other side of the room, a man was tempering metal for what appeared to be a coffin of some type. Funerary goods were the only well known export of the village and Bakura remembered the black humor most of the village members took in it. "Death is our way of life" was the mock motto of Kur Elna. Perhaps they shouldn't have said it so readily. It was easy to take the wrong way now that he thought about it.

The thief sighed and removed his gaze from the window. He was in a duel afterall. Though it didn't seem much like a duel to him. His jackal was nowhere to be found and if the trick was for him to protect the villagers during the battle. It wasn't going to be that difficult at all. No one was out in the street. As long as he finished off the jackal quickly. No one would even notice. Bakura frowned. There had to be something else to it. There had to be another trick to his game.

Bakura continued walking down the streets looking for the jackal. It had to be around here somewhere. After all that was the point of the game: to defeat the jackal. He turned right along another street. The town was not large by any stretch of the imagination but there were plenty of places to hide. He remembered as much from his youth.

Bakura felt a pain in his stomach and a lump growing in his throat. Something about this street was bothering him. He wasn't sure what it was. The street was just like the others. It was a pounded dirt road which passed along parallel to the adobes. Some debris was leaning up against the houses. It wasn't the debris he was used to seeing in his home but some unused papyrus rods for construction and broken objects that hadn't yet been disposed of. He must be in the back of some housing. It wouldn't be like the villagers to leave trash in front of their homes. Overall, he couldn't put his finger on what was upsetting him.

"Come on!"

Bakura turned quickly at the sound of the voice. It was familiar. The voice came from a small boy. The boy was no older than seven. His white hair made it easy enough to see that he was a Kur Elnan. The small boy was struggling with a papyrus board trying to carry it away somewhere. The board was too long and awkward for the boy who was obviously too young to understand how to carry it properly.

Bakura approached the boy. The child didn't seem to notice him. Bakura cocked his head to the side as he examined the child. On closer examination, the child was indeed Kuru Elnan. His hair was a solid white and came down a little lower than his chin. He wore a darker linen tunic which came down too far on the tiny boy. His skin was a rich tan with a reddish hue from being in the sun more than most. Bakura grinned with delight. The tiny boy was a Kuru just like him and so much like he was at that age. The boy continued to struggle awkwardly with the board and quickly turned from weight of the limber in comparison to his tiny body.

Bakura took a few steps back. The boy's eyes couldn't see the Thief King and he gazed right through him as he continued his juvenile quest. But Bakura couldn't stop staring. The boy had pale violet eyes identical to his. Not identical, they were his. The small boy was him. The small boy was him fourteen years ago. It all made sense why he was so nervous in this alley. This was the alley! This was the alley was in! He had been trying to build a small fort in the back of his family home that day and a neighbor had offer to let him dig through some left over lumber to finish the project. He remembered now hauling the board. He remember almost falling! This was it!

Almost on cue, there was a scream from the center square and the sound of horses. They had started the raid. The jackal had taken him to the past. To his past. He saw as the tiny version of himself walked over to see what was going on. He ran past the boy and into something he wished he could forget.

The street at this point were littered with people trying to flee for their lives. Women clung desperately their children only to be butchered or gathered for the altar. The children were more often trampled than outrightly killed. Bakura turned to see a young woman no older than Safiya try to run away as a guard chased her. Bakura snarled and lunged at the guard. He passed through him and landed hard on the ground. He couldn't do anything. He was helpless to stop it and helpless to escape. Just like the last time.

Safiya's ka flew into the desert. They quickly soared over the dunes and away from the city. Safiya did not linger far behind. Her friend was depending on her to help him and, if nothing else, perhaps her presence could at least comfort him in knowing that he wasn't alone. Habib and Jono straggled behind trying to keep up to the young woman.

"Safiya, don't go so far ahead!" Safiya didn't sway from her track. Jono snarled to himself. "How did she get so stubborn?"

"She comes by it honestly."

Jono turned back and narrowed his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about." He said and slid down a rocky slope.

Habib rolled his eyes. "Right, let's all pretend she isn't exactly like you."

Jono growled and shoved Habib down the next bank.

"That was uncalled for." The paler man said and dusted off his tunic. "She's just like you though. Actually this situation seems all too familiar to me."

Jono tried to stop from turning a scarlet color. "My sister is right there."

"And?"

Habib certainly was getting cheeky in his old age. He was right though. They were speaking in more Hebrew than Egyptian and, even if Safiya weren't completely wrapped up in the chase, she wouldn't be able to pick up more than two or three words.

As for the situation, it could have been two incidents between them. The most recent was when he had quietly slipped Habib out of slavery when he was scheduled for transfer. It had been brash and of course, dangerous. He was technically stealing 'property' from the Pharaoh himself. Jono felt the pit of his stomach ache at the thought of it now. To him, Habib was as much property as Safiya.

There was another incident as well though it was much further back. Habib had worked in the courtyard of the palace most of his childhood. He hadn't been born there but had been transferred at around the age of seven. The two boys had met by chance one day. Jono had scaled the wall to look into the palace and had accidently fallen in. After that, it was simply a matter of going under rather than over whenever he wanted to see his newfound friend.

Habib looked over to his musing friend. "You attacked a guard for me, Jonas."

"I- that- you're different."

"So you would do it all over again. Even though it was irresponsible, brash and a little stupid actually." Habib said with a grin.

Jono didn't have anything to say. He would have and if anyone ever touched Habib, he would today but the thief was different. They were two completely separate matters.

"I found him! The Noddian is dueling him!"

The two turned. Safiya was waving to them from a nearby canyon. Habib and Jono surveyed the area. "Do you know where we are Habib?"

Habib shook his head. "Slave caravans don't travel this way. I've never been here before."

They hurried over to Safiya and looked down. The thief was indeed below. The canyon bottomed out and encircled a village of adobes. "Something's wrong." Safiya said quickly and began to slide down into the village. She hurried through the village. "King! King!"

Serq turned and smiled at Safiya. "Glad to see that we have some new players. Your boyfriend is losing his luster."

She stared at Diabound with her hands over her mouth. The great ka was limply hovering over his master. The jackal snapped at him and Diabound did nothing. She lowered her gaze. Bakura seemed to be in some kind of trance. His eyes were open and he stood but he didn't move. He just stood unmoving.

* * *

Review if you have any comments.


	9. Black Magic

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yugioh. But I can't say I wouldn't like to.

**A/N: **This takes place some time before the Egypt Arch saga. I imagine around half a year before. Again, I hope any anti-Semitism is seen as proving a point that is not anti-Semitic.

Serq is evil and I love it. Everything about the staff is revealed in this chapter, everything about Serq's behavior and everything else too. Also beware of AU and mention of slash. Also I kinda indulged some of my AU fantasies with Habib's illusion. I'm only human after all.

Also I'm beginning to wonder what type of message I'm sending. It seems to be that all families are different and exotic northerns are evil. Oh dear me.

**Mock Forms  
****Chapter IX: Black Magic**

Safiya ran over to Bakura and shook him by the arm as hard as she could. "King! King!!"

Serq cocked his head to the side and smiled. "It won't do you any good. He can't hear you."

Safiya turned quickly to Serq. "What have you done to him!?! What did you do!?!"

"Do you see this?" He said rose his staff to show her from across the field. "This is a staff that I created using the same book that was used to create the Pharaoh's necklace. It's magic, powerful stuff." He paused for a moment and smiled as he gazed at his staff. After a long minute, he turned back to her. "Though there was something that was... a little too... messy for me. The human sacrifices that is. The only way to create something that powerful is to use humans you see."

Safiya stared at him for a moment. "You..."

Serq rolled his eyes irritably. "No! I guess it's asking too much for you to listen. Having bloody hands isn't something I was planning on having. I used the bones of this city. They were... lying around after all." Serq said and a choked laugh.

Safiya whimpered quietly. The boy was mad. No, he was beyond that. "You're a monster!! How could you defile a village for something like that!?!"

"You're going to hurt my feelings." He said with a fake pout. "This staff gives me power. In fact at this very moment, your little boyfriend is locked inside an illusion created by my sennen staff."

"You trapped him in an illusion... that you created..."

"Are all of you so perceptive? I didn't create it. He did. I simply sent him to his greatest fear. And I plan on doing the same thing to all of you. I am not having my plans spoiled by some nosy peasants and a slave." Serq snapped as Jono and Habib caught up to them.

Jono snarled. "Let the thief go!"

"Or what? You'll send out that lizard of yours again. I'm sending all of you to an illusion and finishing you for good. I don't need the aggravation of having loose ends."

"You helped us." Habib said. "Or are all Noddians snakes?"

"Ooo... Noddians. I haven't heard that in a while either and dragging race into this, too. This is quite a treat." His smile faded and was replaced with an irritated scowl. "I sent you on your merry way hoping that you wouldn't bother me again. But I guess my mercy wasn't good enough for all of you."

Safiya clung to Bakura's arm. Her ka hovered overhead close to Diabound. Jono and Habib hurried to Safiya's side and summoned their ka's. The Red Eyes hissed and Chimera roared at Serq as they flew low trying to shield their masters. Jono walked right through his toward Serq. "Leave my sister out of this! You have your staff! What do you need the thief and us for!?! You've seen how things work! You have the bureaucracy wrapped around your finger!! We're no threat!"

Serq smiled musingly. "You mean the priest?" Serq laughed to himself. "Yes, the innocent admiring little brother does suit me, doesn't it?"

"I guess... Though I think you'd make a much better lap dog."

Serq laughed. "Lap dog!?! I don't think you under..." Serq paused and looked at the Jono and Habib. The blond had stepped through his ka and where was it!?! The red eyes swooped down and lunged at the staff. Serq fell backwards still clinging to it. He turned to see that his ka snarling as he was trying to get away from Chimera. He had transformed back in the confusion. He turned to the thief who still seemed to be in the trance and rose to his feet. "You tricked me!! **How dare you trick me**!!!"

Jono cursed under his breath and turned to Habib. "What now?!"

"I'll tell you what now!" Serq barked across the field. The boy was clearly irrate. He wasn't used to not getting his way or being outwitted. The black eye on his forehead flickered violently and began to grow. "I've teach you for tricking me."

Safiya clung to Bakura and Jono tried to shield the others. It was too late though. Serq had all ready used the staff against them.

Atem cocked his head to the side and looked out into the desert. "Shimon?"

"Yes, my lord?"

Atem squinted as he looked out over the balcony. "Are any of the priests out of the city at the moment?"

Shimon looked over at the young Pharaoh with some confusion. It was getting late in the day and if they were, it would have been unusual. "No sire, all of the priests are in their rooms at the moment. Though I think Lord Akunadin is out in the Church of the Ra."

"I mean are any of the priests out in the desert?"

"Out in the desert?" Shimon seemed even more confused. "Why would they be out in the desert, sire?"

Atem turned back to his advisor. "No reason in particular. I have to go handle some business. Mind the throne while I'm gone." Atem said and began toward the corridor.

"But... yes, Lord Pharaoh."

Atem walked quickly down the hall. He had seen something in the desert. He wasn't sure what exactly but his instincts were telling him it was a ka duel. With all of the unusual occurrences, he had to consult the priests. He wasn't going to let his one go. He turned at the end of the hall and stopped at Mahado's room. He paused for a moment and knocked. This was going to be awkward.

Mahado answered lazily. "Yes..." His eyes widened and he stood up straight at the sight of Atem. The priest's face was at that moment a beet red and looked as though he could faint. "My Lord Pharaoh! I'm sorry... I didn't think it was... I thought it may have been... what can I do for you?"

Atem sighed to himself. "Something's bothering me."

"Bothering you?"

"Yes... it's about those prisoners from the other day. Something is bothering me about them."

"You don't think they were innocent?"

"No, something else is bothering me..."

Mahado thought for a moment. "My Lord, I spoke with the girl. I don't think she meant us any harm. She seemed good hearted and her ka was as gentle as any would hope."

"It's not the girl."

"The older brother then?"

"No."

"The slave or the thief?"

"No, it's was something about that situation."

Mahado furrowed his brow. "What are your thoughts?"

"Strange things have been happening in Egypt of late."

"Indeed. The peasant's dueling. That rogue thief spreading propaganda and raiding tombs. The slave rebelling. Nothing like this has happened before."

Atem paused. Nothing had happened like this before well not before that new architect. The architect. He hadn't gotta along with that boy. However with everything else, he hadn't had any time to do anything about it. He had charged him with attacking the peasants but he hadn't done it. It was proven in trial. Though... he had only been acquitted because of Priest Set's comments. As a matter of fact, Set's outrage had helped the boy a great deal. "Where did Set find the architect?"

Mahado thought of a moment. "I don't know. I never asked him. He just came back with him after he took that mission leave in the northern states."

Atem's head felt like it was spinning at the moment. He had assigned a completely unreferenced foreigner to a position of not just power but resources. The bureaucracy would have his head if he weren't God on earth.

"I think I remember Set saying something about false allegations of theft from the boy's previous employer."

Atem turned quickly. "Who was that?"

"Some nomadic king in the northern states. Set assured me that it was false. The systems up there are somewhat crude and run by barbarians. He said it was based on superstition. Something about the boy being from a cursed people or something to that affect."

Atem looked at him shocked. "And you didn't think this was anything worth mentioning!"

Mahado stepped back cautiously. "It's all hearsay, my lord."

"Hearsay. It was hearsay in Egypt with the slave, too." Atem muttered angrily. "I can't believe I was so stupid."

"You aren't stupid, my Lord."

"Not now, Mahado. Where is the architect?"

"I'm sure, he's in his room. I haven't seen him most of the day." Mahado said calmly as he followed the distressed young Pharaoh.

Atem opened the door to Serq's room. Sure enough, the boy was nowhere to be found. He looked around. The small room was cluttered with papyrus pages. Atem picked a few up and looked at him. They weren't architectural. Most were designs for what seemed to be sennen items.

"Pharoah Atem," Mahado said and handed Atem another papyrus paper. "I think it's a map."

It was a map. The paper was a drawing of the city in great detail and the desert surrounding it. A line was drawn through it leading to an X in a mountainous region of the desert. Atem couldn't imagine what he would want there. "Is there anything there, Mahado?"

"No, just an old city. It was abandoned years and years ago when you were an infant. It's a hard life out in the desert."

Mahado grasped and Atem turned. "What is it?"

Mahado picked up a large book that Serq had wedged between a desk and the wall. "This is one of the sacred books from the temple. Why is it in here?"

Almost on cue, Akunadin rushed through the door and seized the book. "Where did you find this?"

Both men stared at the elder priest wide eyed. They weren't used to being scolded and he seemed to have come out of nowhere.

"Out with it! I've been looking for this book was almost a week now! It's been in the library of the temples since before I was born and all of the sudden it went missing!! Where did you find it!?!"

Mahado cleared his throat. "I just found it in here, Lord Akunadin. Maybe the architect was borrowing it for research and you forgot."

Akunadin looked insulted by the very idea. "Why would I lend this book to the architect? It's a spell book. It's the very book used to create those items that we save Egypt with! I'd hardly let this out of my sight!"

Mahado turned to Atem. Atem was staring at the priest as well. They both turned back to Akunadin. "He stole the book. Priest Akunadin, I think the boy is trying to create a new set of sennen items and I think he's doing it out in the desert."

Mahado and Akunadin both stared hard at the Atem. "Are you sure?"

"I think I am. Mahado and I are going to the X on his map. We need to have a talk with Serqmaaker."

Safiya stood stiffly refusing to open her eyes. The explosion of magic had passed and she felt that she was more or less all right physically. Though that wasn't the greatest of her fears by a long shot. Serq had more than rattled her and to open her eyes would send her to the illusion. She whimpered and took a deep breath. She could do it. She knew she could. She'd come this far to save the Thief King and she wasn't letting Serq stop her. She opened her eyes and looked around. Blackness. She took another deep breath trying not to panic. Serq was certainly good at create this deepest, darkest fear concept. In her case, an emphasis on darkest was in order. Safiya was always afraid that she might one day finally go blind. Her eyes had been fine for more than four years now but the lapse of her sight in her childhood, and all through it, had always weighed on her. She swallowed hard. Serq was near. He was only so far in front of her. Her brother was there and the king and Habib as well. She thought for a moment. Perhaps she could do this. Her illusion was simply being without sight. The others more than likely were in illusions of a grander scale. She needed to help them.

She closed her eyes again. There wasn't any point in keeping them open if she couldn't see. First thing, she needed to find her ka. Without her ka, she was useless. It was their ka's that bound them. She took a deep breath and tried to find her. She could imagine the creature but her presence wasn't in it. She knew the feeling of her ka. It was a warm sensation. She knew that if she could feel her ka, she could feel the others. She drew the picture of the field, the village, her family and her ka in her mind. It was there. She knew it. It was there. It was.

Safiya opened her eyes. The gentle warmth was present and there she was. The Dancing Faeries floated before her in the darkness. They didn't say a word but smiled cheerfully and flew around her excitedly. She had done it. She hadn't broken the spell but she had found her heart, her ka, in the darkness. She did a spin and giggled to herself. The ka's glowed joyfully and clapped as they smiled to each other. They were a trio after all. Much like Safiya herself, her ka couldn't seem to be just one person with one role.

"I'm so glad you're here. We need to help my brother, Habib and the King."

The faeries nodded to Safiya and smiled.

"We can't go together though. We have to split up. I think we can because we won't be apart. This is all an illusion and if it's an illusion, it isn't real."

The faeries cocked their head and leaned in with interest. Her ka seemed intrigued.

"One of you will go to my brother, another to Habib and I'll go to the King. I'll send messages with all of you. I hope it works. You don't look up to dueling but hopefully. You won't have to."

Saifya nodded and the faeries disappeared.

"NO!!!" Jono screamed as loudly as he could as he thrashed against the weight of the guard. The guard snarled and pinned the young egyptian against a nearby abode. Jono grabbed at the guard and wall of the adobe trying to get away. He was sobbing hysterically as he scrambled to get to Habib.

The guard was growing irritably. "Be quiet! You're lucky that you aren't being charged for the same crime as him!" The guard said and threw him to the ground. Habib looked back at him concerned; as another guard began pulling him away.

Jono felt a lump welling in his throat as he pulled himself up. He tried to stay calm but it was far too late for that. Habib was being arrested. Two offenses for a slave would no doubt bring about an execution. He couldn't help but think that somehow the thief had been involved, that he had told someone about what he'd seen in the dungeons of the palace.

"You have no idea how lucky you are that the Pharaoh is letting you off." The guard echoed. "If I were him, I wouldn't be so lenient on sodomites."

Jono snarled as his coal was smudged and runny from his watery eyes. "You don't know anything about this!!"

The guard snorted. "I think the God Seth taught us all we need to know."

Jono snarled. How dare he. How dare! How dare he compare him to Seth! How dare he compare him to that incestuous dog! "You... You know nothing... nothing!"

The other guards glared at him. One still holding Habib over his bound hands. "How dare you insult the sacred stories!" One of the guards said. "I've had enough of this. We've been putting up with this long enough. We've been far too lenient on these Hebrews and their supporters."

Jono felt his heart skip a beat at the sound of the words. He knew very well where he was going. He wanted to charge him. He wanted to get in the way. He wanted to do all he could to stop what he knew that guard was about to do. But he couldn't. His legs refused his wishes and he was paralyzed for that moment.

"NOOO!!!" Jono cried drowning out the weak scream from Habib as the guard stabbed him from behind.

If he did live long after, it wasn't apparent. The young Hebrew went limp almost at once and landed in a heap on the ground. Blood rushed from the open wound after the guard freed his spear. He showed no remorse as he eyed Jono who was only feet from him. "Maybe now, you'll stop your blasphemy." The guards said firmly and strut away.

Air caught in his throat and hung as though he were choking. He had never felt so weak in his life as he did at that moment. He moved closer and knelt down beside Habib's limp body. They had abandoned him as though he meant little more to them than garbage. Jono would have been insulted, enraged and even vengeful if he didn't feel so empty. He put his arm around the other man and bent down resting his head on his shoulder. He didn't know what to do. He'd done so much to stop this from happening. He had tried so hard to keep their heads down. To keep him safe.

"All of this time."

Jono turned quickly at the sound of the familiar voice. "Saf..fiya?"

"You were... and all of this time... I thought..."

"Safiya." Jono felt his heart pounding. His sister's face spoke for itself. She had the same disgust that the thief had shone but something else was there as well. Betrayal.

"You... you never told me!"

"Safiya... I-I.. meant to. I just... didn't..."

"You lied to me. You lied!"

"I was going to tell you."

"No... you weren't..."

"Big brother!"

Jono turned quickly away from Safiya and to the sound of the voice. A small winged faery flew toward him and stopped. Its voice was that of Safiya. "Safiya?"

"No! I'm your sister!" The first Safiya said angrily.

"Don't listen to her. It's me, Jono. You'd know my ka anywhere."

"She is not! I am!" Safiya cried. "I'm your sister! This is an illusion! Your sister would never forgive you for this! You know it! You know her!"

"No, she's not! I'm Safiya." The faery paused. "You're my big brother. I don't hate you. This is an illusion."

"An illusion?"

"Yes!"

"No!" The illusion protested.

"You know everything that will happen because it's your fears. You know what she isn't going to say. You know what she'll do because it isn't real."

"You know because you know your sister. You know that I hate you for this."

Jono looked down at Habib and to Safiya. It was his fears. Persecution, rejection, death. They were all his fear realized. In fact, he couldn't remember going back home after the fight with Serq. He couldn't remember being caught by the guards. He had surrendered to it so willingly with no proof at all.

Habib stepped out of the adobe on the west side of the city. He honestly couldn't remember how they had escaped Serq and the situation that had developed. Frankly, he didn't really care to know. He was just happy to be home and away from the trouble that the Noddian had caused. Safiya was out as well. She was dragging Bakura by the hand showing him the neighborhood. Habib was almost sure the thief knew the neighborhood well enough without a proper tour but he didn't seem to object to being lead around by Safiya.

"Habib!" she smiled and turned hiding that she was holding the thief's hand behind her back. "I thought you were out with Jono."

He raised his eyebrows. He had just come out to look for Jono. He was nowhere in the house and he assumed that he was out with Safiya. "He isn't with you, then?"

Saifya seemed confused by the question. "No... I thought he was with you. We... I was trying to spend some time alo... showing Bakura the neighborhood."

"Oh..." Habib was not a slow man. He got the message; even if, Safiya was too embarrassed to say it out loud. She was avoiding her brother to spend time with her _friend_. "Right... Hope I'm not interrupting." He said with a cheeky smile.

Safiya blushed and the thief looked to Habib as if he had said something rather crude. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut short.

"Safiya!! Get away from him!!!"

All three of them turned quickly to the left. Jono was stomping down, from what seemed to be the main strip, in a mood. Safiya shuddered and the thief cursed under his breath. "It's fine. I'll talk to him." Habib said and smiled to Jono. "I was looking for you!"

"I'm sure you were." He said in almost a roar and pinned Habib against the adobe. The scene almost seemed to freeze for a moment. What had happened was more than unexpected. Jono had never in all of their years together ever lay a hand on him. They had wrestled for fun as children and adolescents and Habib had slapped him on the back of the head as almost scolding him but they had never fought. "How long were you planning on hiding it from me!?!"

Habib's mind was racing. He somehow knew what he was talking about. The murder. The prisoner he had killed in the ka duel. Jono knew. He had found out. "I...I was going to tell you."

Bakura snarled, "What's wrong with you!?!" Safiya, at that point, was scared half to death by the attack and clinging to Bakura's chest.

"He's a murderer!!" Jono barked to the others.

The mood changed immediately. Bakura moved a little to be more of a shield to Safiya as she just stared in shock. "Habib..."

"He fought in some kind of arena in the dungeons and murdered a prisoner!"

Habib was shaking at this point. They knew. They knew everything. They knew about the death of that prisoner. They knew how he had killed another human being. He had killed someone.

"Habib!"

Habib turned quickly still pinned against the wall. Down the street was a small hovering ka. It was Safiya's actually. He could feel it. He turned to Safiya then back to the ka. "What?"

Jono snarled and pounded him against the wall to distract him. "Don't turn away from me!!"

"Habib! Don't listen to him!"

"How are you here?"

"Habib, this isn't real. Serq has you trapped in an illusion."

"An illusion?"

"This isn't an illusion! She's lying!!"

"It is. I know you wouldn't hurt anyone Habib and if you did, Jono wouldn't be like that. You know it!"

"What does she know!?! You know very well that murder is a sin, Habib! You know what I'd do!!"

Habib stopped for a moment. Jono had just said it was a sin. He had been thinking exactly the same at that moment. He looked over to Safiya and Bakura. Jono had left them alone. He'd never leave them alone. He'd never trust Habib alone to keep _"the thief"_ off of her. The ka was right. He come out of nowhere and jumped him without even asking. Over ten years and he didn't even ask. Jono was quick to judge but not that quick.

Safiya and her third ka tried their best to dodge the havoc that was around them. Safiya had never seen anything so horrible. People were being killed left and right. Guards butchered children and adults alike. "We need to find King and quickly."

* * *

Thank you for reading and remember to review. 


	10. Caught Up

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yugioh. But I can't say I wouldn't like to.

**A/N: **This takes place some time before the Egypt Arch saga. I imagine around half a year before. Again, I hope any anti-Semitism is seen as proving a point that is not anti-Semitic.

I hope this chapter is satsifactory. The last one will probably take all of five minutes because epilogues are incredibly short. Or at least from me they are. I think this wraps up a lot of it though.

As another final note, I really hope everyone liked these last few chapters. I really feel that there was by far not enough catty humor but then again it was more serious. Also I think I'm getting dangerously close to the canon sue line with Safiya and the fact that I love her doesn't help to calm my nerves. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the fanfiction.

**Mock Forms  
****Chapter X: Caught Up**

Screams continued to erupt from the villagers that ran from the invading guards. Men tried to hold them off to no avail as women and children failed to escape. Some of the soldiers had begun burning the houses to draw out the inhabitants. A great deal of smoke from the fires made it even harder for the villagers to know where they were going and created more panic.

Safiya and her ka looked around. It was hard not to get caught up in the atmosphere of the attack; even if, you knew it wasn't anything but a mirage. "Poor King," she said and frowned sadly. "Where is he? I can't see him anywhere."

Her ka cooed sadly and darted around the section of the village.

"Faery," The small creature turned quickly and returned to its master. "Fly up above the smoke and see if you can see him from above. I'll keep looking down here. One of us has to find him."

The faery didn't argue, not that it could, and flew up high above the smoke to look from the air.

"I'm glad my ka isn't a cannon tortoise. Then I wouldn't get anywhere." She said to herself. There were advantages to having a flying ka and in her case three of them.

She took another look around and saw someone familiar: Priest Akunadin. Why would Priest Akunadin be in the King's illusion? There was something else too. The Priest wasn't wearing his sennen eye. It was hard to miss something like that. It wasn't exactly something that she imagined someone just took out and put in often. It had to be the Priest before he inherited it. The man's hair was still a deep brunette and was not nearly as frail looking. It had to be the priest from at least ten years ago. She noticed that there was something else that was odd about the illusion. The people all had a rather distinct look to them. It was their hair. All of the villagers dawned white hair like the Thief King. Pale hair was rare in Egypt. Her brother of course had sandy blond hair but white was another matter. She remembered it was the Thief

King's pale hair that had made her stop the first day to listen to him. It was a double take, really. She thought that it may have been a trick of the light or a wig. Though on closer inspection, the

hair was still the same white though dirtier in person but far to matted and haphazard to be a wig. The man needed some good grooming. Though half of this hair was probably beyond help.

Safiya followed the Priest with her eyes for a few more moments before continuing her search for the Thief King. Her hopes were that he wasn't roaming the area but in this kind of chaos, she doubted it. Her best bet was still for her or her ka to spot him. She hadn't and she knew her ka

had not either. The smoke was so thick that the poor sprite couldn't see anything but still hovered above searching. She continued stepping over broken ceramics and debris. "King! Bakura! King, can you hear me?!"

The villagers didn't reply and the guards didn't even turn to her. This illusion was different than the others. It didn't seem to reply to those trapped in it or even act as though they were there. It was hard to explain being ignored in that way. The closest comparison she could think of was that it was much like a theatre production without acknowledgment the audience. She had once dragged her brother to one of those. Habib must have jabbed her brother in the ribs at least a dozen times to stop him from falling asleep. She had to admit, he wasn't the most refined man in Egypt.

"STOP!!!"

Safiya turned quickly. She knew that voice. She'd been to more of that voice's rants and speeches than anyone. She knew it better than anyone. "King?!" She ran over quickly to see Bakura on his knees screaming at the top of his lungs. She stood shocked for a moment without doing anything. It was frightening to see him so unstable. "King, it's me. I-I... this isn't real."

Bakura turned quickly to Safiya and stared for a long moment then looked around. "Get out of here!!" He said and rose to his feet. He was maniac with adrenaline and seemed to have a wild quality that she had only seen in him once before when she had mentioned Serq's staff.

Safiya panted slightly trying to stay calm. "K-King... Bakura, come with me. This is an illusion. The boy created it, the boy with that staff. If you know..."

Bakura stared at her for a moment and began to laugh maniacally. "No. No! No!" Safiya jumped. "Not her. Not here." He said as he stood his head in frustration.

Safiya trembled slightly as she watched the Thief King unravel. She wasn't going to lie. She was terrified. She had never seen anyone act like this. Never before had a man fallen apart at the seams in front of her like that. "Bakura..." She said quietly. As scared as she was, it was Bakura and whether preacher or pouting he was still her friend. She walked closer to him. "Bakura... it's me, Safiya." She said placing her hand on her sternum. "You have to come with me. This isn't real. If you just believe, it isn't we can..."

"Don't!!!" He shouted at her. "I'm not choosing... I'm not choosing..."

"Not choosing?"

"She's kind. She was kind to me. She can't be here. I'm not choosing one. I can't choose one."

Safiya revealed that he wasn't talking her at all. Her face turned red with frustration. He was ignoring her. She was trying to help him get out of this mess and all he had was talking to himself. "Bakura! Listen to me!!"

"I'm not choosing."

"Choose or not, you have to know this isn't real!!!"

It happened in an instant. The scene disappeared and they emerged back at the ruins of Kur Elna. She was on the ground next to the Thief King who still seemed to be groggy from the illusion. She turned up to see her three faeries hovered above healing Diabound who seemed to be badly wounded. "Glad to see you back!" Habib said with a grin.

It took her another minute to fully realize the whole of the situation. Beside her, Chimera stood on guard for herself and the Thief King. Across the field, Jono's ka, Red Eyes, was making easy work of the jackal ka. "You made it out of the illusions!" She said beaming at the two young men.

The Red Eyes withdrew from the jackal for a moment and Jono smiled. "Thanks to you. You're the one who told us it was an illusion."

"Well, well, more clever than I thought." They turned and saw Serq smirking arrogantly as he stood unsteadily across the field. "Or are you?"

"What is he talking about his ba has to be much lower than ours?" Habib said quietly to Jono.

"You're right, he's either buffing or..." Jono looked for a moment. "Red Eyes!"

It was too late though before Jono had time to even think of a course of action for his ka, the jackal had attacked Safiya's ka. The young girl doubled over in pain as the jackal tore at the feathered creatures. The faeries were truly unequipped for combat. They should no chance against even the jackal. "Not much fun on the receiving end." Serq laughed.

"Stop it!" The jackal came crashing to earth with more than enough force. The creature whimpered and Serq grabbed his own chest in pain. The attack had been dealt by the freshly healed Diabound. He had hit the beast hard across the side of the head sending it flying. The wounded faeries fluttered toward the ground under Diabound's watchful eye. The Thief King had finally snapped out of the trance and didn't seem to be pleased to have seen the attack on the helpless faeries.

"So the idiot is awake." He panted. "I'm surprised you made it out of the illusion. It seems to take half a brain to do." He was biting to the end. The young man was in no condition to

continue the duel but he seemed unabated. "Either way, you're little healer is out of commission. Or didn't you notice that your little girlfriend can heal ba?"

The Thief King snarled and Diabound positioned himself to protect Safiya who had withdrawn her ka's. She was not in the best state but thanks to Diabound's attack her ba was still within a healthy range. "You must be more crazy than I thought. You can't win now, Serq. You don't have any tricks left." Jono said. "You should just give up before the Thief King decides to take another whack at ka." The Thief King seemed to agree with that idea. The Noddian was obviously defeated and if not, he would be from the next attack.

Though somehow he still smiled. "Yes, but who said that I can't try again. I sincerely doubt, you'll fair as well in your fears without your healer." The group froze. He really was a dirty cheat. He was going to use his staff to cheat again. "She really is clever, I have to admit. She wouldn't have made a bad nomad if she weren't so soft. We have a tendency to avoid all of that comradery that you people seem to cling to. But she impresses me. After all, you only made it through the first time because of her." Serq smiled and rose his staff again. "I won't fail his time."

Suddenly a beam of dark light shot across the field. It hit Serq clearly on his wrist and the metal rod went flying. At the entrance to the village was Mahado, the priest from the palace, perched atop a royal horse. His ka, a magician in purple robes with a staff in one hand, had attacked Serq and was looming. "Stop in the name of the Pharaoh!"

The three withdrew their ka's at the sound of the official's voice. Serq snarled to himself in almost a hiss as he rubbed his arm. "This isn't over," he hissed silently to them and smiled innocently. "Lord Pharaoh!"

"What is going on HERE!?!" Atem roared from the back of his horse.

"You were right, Lord Pharaoh. I shouldn't have asked you to let them go. They're menaces. The peasants from earlier that is. They attacked me." Serq pleaded meekly to the Pharaoh.

"Oh really. What were they doing here?"

"Practicing black magic, my lords." Serq said as he picked up the staff. "See, they made this from the bones of the plague victims. I was here to stop them."

Mahado looked down at the staff. It was a perfect replica of one of the sketches they had found in his room. "It looks like one of your drawings."

Serq's eyes widened and he began to sweat. "Not mine. Theirs. I've been following their plan for months. They're trying to overthrow you, Lord Pharaoh."

"Overthrow me, are they?" Atem said calmly. "I suppose the peasants planted the sketches. I suppose they planted the book as well."

"Exactly. They planted it to frame me. To throw you off the trail."

"I suppose they got arrested to do that and that the heroic rescue was just a set up."

"You are a very wise king, my Pharaoh."

"And I suppose that the fact that this overshadowed your own investigation was a coincidence. It was coincidence that you were found wondering the desert as an orphan. It was coincidence that Set bonded with you so quickly."

Serq winced and his mind raced to find a lie. Nothing came though. "I don't see what you mean my Pharaoh."

"You set up the duel to overshadow my suspicions. You hurt the craftsmen to push the slave to attack the palace so your trial was no more than a daily footnote. You followed Set in the desert waiting for the perfect moment to persuade him to take you back to Egypt and he believed you

because you were clever and spoke eloquently and the tribes' people were honest but crude. We all took you on face value Serqmaaker and we were all wrong."

Serq's innocent smiled turned to a smirk. "We're a clever lot but I guess my 'Lord Pharaoh' was cleverer still." He turned to Thief King and the group. "We'll have to finish this some other time. I guess I have a date with the Pharaoh."

Mahado rode over to the group. "I am so sorry that all you of were mixed up in this. But you're still escaped criminals." He paused and the group shot him an angry stare. "But if we can't find you, we can't charge you. No, we can't." The priest said and rode off after the Pharaoh who was leading Serq out of the village.

Safiya bent over trying to get up. Both Jono and the Thief King grabbed one of her arm as she tripped. "I'm fine. I just think we should go home for now."

There wasn't any argument about her decision. After all that had happened, all they really wanted was to go back to their small on the westside. The journey back was made easy by Diabound's invisibility that the thief didn't seem to mind sharing. The hardest part was how to get Safiya back. Contrary to what she had said, she was in no condition to walk back across the desert and into the city on her own power. Habib volunteered almost immediately to defuse any

argument that would have broken out over who was to carry her and with some derogatory slurs from the thief and a hard slug from Jono to him calling Habib a rather impolite name, they were on their way.

"I can walk the rest of the way, Habib. It's not that much further." Safiya said as they approach the last block home. Habib turned to Jono looking for an answer.

"Put her down."

Habib lower her off of his back carefully. "Take it easy though. You shouldn't be running yet."

She smiled. "I'll be fine. I just want to talk to King for a moment." She said and walked over to the Thief King.

The thief turned quickly. He was surprised to see her up so soon. "Are you sure you should be walking?"

She smiled. "I should ask you the same thing. You took the blunt of it for us."

The thief smirked. "You should know that I'm tougher than that. I've been on my own since I was seven."

"You don't have to."

The thief turned quickly. She was flirting with him. "What?'

"We're going to have to leave the capital. We don't have any other choice and..."

"And..."

"I would like you to come with us." She said turning an almost unhealthy shade of red. "We'll be going to Bubastis. It's up near the sea in the north. No one will be looking for Habib if he's in the same city as his sector and I want you to come too."

"The sea?"

"Yeah, I saw the art in Kur Elna. They were craftsmen. If you don't know how, my brother could teach you." She said fidgeting nervously. "I like you, Bakura and I think you'd like it... moving to Bubastis that is."

He paused for a moment. He seemed a little shocked by the proposal. "The sea is... pretty far from the Valley of the Kings."

"Yeah but it's far from the Pharaoh too and you wouldn't be a tomb robber anymore. You could work..." She stopped and at the thief for a moment. "You're not choosing, are you?" She paused. "Come visit then."

The thief paused. "I would trust me but..."

Safiya was about to cry. "Thank you for everything." She said and hugged him tightly and this time he hugged her back.

* * *

Thank you for reading. 


	11. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yugioh. But I can't say I wouldn't like to.

**A/N: **This takes place some time before the Egypt Arch saga. I imagine around half a year before. Again, I hope any anti-Semitism is seen as proving a point that is not anti-Semitic.

The End.

**Mock Forms  
****Epilogue: A Prison**

Serq smiled as he was walked into the main throne room. Atem sat at the head of the room with the priests standing at his sides. Priest Set was a sickly shade of green as he saw the boy wink at one of the guards when they released him. "I didn't know I was having an audience with the king of the world's longest mud puddle."

The priests and Pharaoh frowned holding in a growing anger. The Nile was life itself in Egypt more sacred than the temples and pyramids and even the Pharaoh himself. To refer to her in that way was more than outrageous. "Serqmaaker, you have committed treason against the state of Egypt. You are charged with attacking citizens, four charges of attempted murder.."

"You're counting the thief and the slave!?! You're madder than I thought."

"... disturbing the peace, theft of an ancient and dangerous book and..."

"And tampering with dark magics that one such as myself should not. I know why I'm here. Now what is my sentence so I can think of an escape plan? Trust me, you won't have the pleasure of seeing me in your kingdom again."

"I know. I also know that no matter where I try to lock you up or how I try to execute you, you'd escape and if you escape you do the same to another kingdom somewhere in the desert."

"Is that so?"

"You're an opportunist, Sermaaker." Atem said looking at his puzzle. "Conventional prisons won't hold you."

"Conventional?" Serq looked up at the Pharaoh. He didn't know where he was going with it for a moment. The young man bolted but the guards restrained him. "Let me go!!"

Atem turned to Mahado who was holding the fake sennen item that Serq had created.

"Serqmaaker, you are sentenced to eternity in a prison you created."

Within a moment the staff and ring around Mahado neck began to glow and the criminals screams stopped.

* * *

If I could think of a sequel, it's set up for one.


End file.
